Patient Access Specialist

Quick Facts

• Role: Patient Access Specialist

Description

Coordinate patient intake, scheduling, and access tasks by collecting accurate demographics and authorization details, verifying insurance eligibility, and supporting medical necessity and financial readiness for appointments. Maintain strict HIPAA confidentiality and provide high-quality, patient-first customer service across departments and physicians’ offices. Document information in electronic systems and participate in quality assurance and process improvement activities.

Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional customer service and foster a team environment aligned with a Patients First philosophy.
• Answer patient questions and concerns; escalate extraordinary issues to the appropriate lead or coordinator.
• Verify and collect patient demographic information according to organizational standards.
• Schedule and direct patients through NMHC systems; reach out to patients for appointment scheduling.
• Perform medical necessity checks for scheduled services and communicate options if an appointment fails.
• Check out-of-pocket estimates as requested and inform patients of issues securing financial account for their encounter.
• Communicate with hospital departments and physician offices to coordinate referrals, insurance referrals, and consultations.
• Collect authorization numbers in applicable systems as required.
• Run real-time eligibility checks to verify insurance and follow out-of-network policies as applicable.
• Document accurate notes and handoff instructions to scheduling staff, including through Epic messages/telephone encounters.
• Prevent issues before patient visits by double-checking test types, required preps, timing/location, and avoiding duplicate records.
• Maintain registration quality metrics by collecting and verifying minimum required data set; update registration system accordingly.
• Participate in quality assurance reviews; use service recovery skills to address breakdowns.
• Follow all department policies, compliance requirements, and regulatory/accreditation standards.
• Complete tasks on time, manage schedules efficiently, and support cross-training between departments.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits are offered to support employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being, with protection for unexpected life events. Benefits eligibility (and any sign-on bonus, if included) follows the employment classification and exceptions noted in the posting.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2–3 years of customer service or medical office experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in computer data-entry/typing and basic computer skills.
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.
• Ability to type 40 wpm.
• Ability to multitask.
• Customer service oriented.
• Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Hard Skills & Technologies

• HIPAA
• Epic
• RTE
• NDAS
• ASF
• Real-time eligibility
• Online order retrieval systems
• Electronic scheduling/registration systems