THE POSITION
Trailhead Treatment Center is seeking a detail-oriented Medical Billing Specialist to take primary ownership of billing and revenue-cycle operations for our growing behavioral health practice. This role will manage insurance claims, benefits verification, denials, payer follow-up, client balances, and revenue-cycle reporting while helping us build reliable systems that support excellent client care.
This is a billing-focused position with meaningful schedule flexibility. The regular schedule will be established collaboratively based largely on the selected candidate’s preferences and will remain generally consistent. The employee must complete assigned work on time, attend a weekly 20-30 minute billing/KPI meeting, and be available for occasional, essential coverage for their administrative counterpart, the Client Coordinator.
AT A GLANCE
- Approximately 20 regular hours per week.
- Weekday position with no evening or weekend coverage required.
- Primarily in person in Knoxville; occasional remote work may become available after training based on performance and practice needs.
- Paid onboarding and training, and free parking.
- Preferred start within approximately four weeks.
WHAT YOU WILL OWN
Insurance Billing and Claims
- Submit and monitor behavioral-health insurance claims.
- Investigate and resolve denied, rejected, delayed, or underpaid claims.
- Correct and resubmit claims and follow up with payers through resolution.
- Monitor aging claims and identify issues requiring leadership attention.
- Maintain accurate payer and billing information in SimplePractice and insurance portals.
Insurance Verification and Client Financial Communication
- Verify benefits for new clients and when coverage changes.
- Document coverage details and estimated client responsibility accurately.
- Communicate professionally and compassionately with clients about insurance, balances, and payment concerns.
- Encourage clients to confirm benefits directly with their insurance carrier when appropriate.
Client Accounts and Revenue-Cycle Follow-Up
- Review outstanding balance and unpaid insurance appointment reports.
- Follow up consistently on unresolved balances and reimbursement issues.
- Document billing communication and coordinate complex concerns with clinicians and the Practice Owners.
- Identify process gaps and recommend practical improvements.
Reporting and Accountability
- Participate in a weekly 20-30 minute billing/KPI meeting with Practice Owner.
- Report on aging claims, denials, outstanding balances, unresolved concerns, and next steps.
- Maintain dependable systems for tracking work through completion.
OCCASIONAL CLIENT COORDINATOR COVERAGE
The employee will be cross-trained in essential Client Coordinator duties and will provide temporary administrative coverage when the full-time Client Coordinator is out of the office.
- Planned coverage is expected approximately three to four weeks per year and may temporarily increase total weekly hours, depending on length of absence.
- For unexpected absences, there is a strong expectation of helping when reasonably possible within weekday availability parameters. This is not a continuously on-call position.
- Client Coordinator coverage is generally in person and focuses on essential functions rather than the entire full-time workload.
Essential coverage may include:
- Answering incoming calls and monitoring the main administrative inbox.
- Responding to new therapy inquiries within the expected timeframe.
- Sending required inquiry follow-up communication and documenting the interaction.
- Scheduling and rescheduling appointments.
- Processing cancellations and notifying clinicians about time-sensitive schedule changes.
- Sending and monitoring intake paperwork.
- Following up on incomplete paperwork before upcoming appointments.
- Addressing urgent current-client administrative needs affecting an imminent appointment.
- Documenting important administrative actions in Trailhead electronic medical record.
WHO WILL THRIVE HERE
You’ll be a great fit, if you...
- Notice discrepancies before they become larger problems.
- Persist with insurance companies and unresolved accounts.
- Communicate about money and coverage with clarity, professionalism, and compassion.
- Work independently, document accurately, and follow tasks through to completion.
- Can shift between focused billing work and occasional client-facing administrative coverage.
- Communicate early when something is delayed, unclear, or requires leadership input.
- Enjoy helping a growing small practice build better systems.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Exceptional organization, accuracy, and attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently, prioritize competing responsibilities, and meet deadlines.
- Comfort learning and navigating electronic health records, insurance portals, and practice-management systems.
- Ability to communicate professionally with clients about sensitive financial matters.
- Ability to work primarily in person in Knoxville and provide occasional in-person administrative coverage.
- Availability to begin within approximately four weeks.
Preferred
- Two or more years of medical billing or healthcare revenue-cycle experience.
- Medical Billing and Coding certification or related education.
- Knowledge of CPT, ICD-10, and insurance claim processes.
- Hands-on experience resolving denials, aging claims, and reimbursement problems.
- Behavioral-health billing experience.
- Experience with SimplePractice or a comparable EHR/practice-management system.
- Strong healthcare administrative experience for candidates with less direct billing experience.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- $17-$22 per hour, based on directly relevant experience.
- Part-time W-2 employment.
- Paid onboarding and training in Trailhead’s billing, administrative, and practice-management systems.
- Substantial input into the regular work schedule.
- Possible occasional remote work after training, based on performance and practice needs.
- Potential opportunities for additional hours or expanded responsibilities; however, remaining a long-term, part-time employee is also welcome.
ABOUT TRAILHEAD
Trailhead Treatment Center is a therapist-owned specialty mental health practice dedicated to helping men and couples create meaningful, lasting change. We believe excellent client care begins before the first therapy session, and our administrative systems should reflect the same warmth, professionalism, responsiveness, and attention to detail our clinicians bring to their work.
We value initiative, accountability, continuous improvement, clear communication, and genuine care for clients and colleagues. This position reports to the Practice Owners.
Pay: $17.00 - $22.00 per hour
Benefits:
Application Question(s):
- Are you available for occasional temporary increases in hours to provide essential administrative coverage during planned staff absences?
- Are you willing to provide short-notice administrative coverage when reasonably possible within availability agreed upon at hiring?
- Have you independently followed up on denied, rejected, delayed, or unpaid insurance claims?
- Are you available to begin within approximately four weeks?
- Do you live in the Knoxville, TN area?
Work Location: In person
