Dental Patient Coordinator
Dental Services and Healthy Futures Director
Non-exempt (Hourly $19.00 - $25.00)
Job purpose
The Dental Patient Coordinator supports patients in understanding and completing recommended dental treatment by helping clarify treatment plans, estimated patient responsibility, payment expectations, prior authorization requirements, and scheduling readiness for higher-cost dental services.
This role serves as a financial and administrative bridge between the dental provider’s treatment plan, the patient’s understanding of cost and next steps, and the front desk’s collection and scheduling workflows. The Dental Patient Coordinator helps remove financial and administrative barriers to care while supporting responsible use of clinic time and resources. Through clear communication, careful tracking, and follow-through, this role supports The HEART in Heartland values by helping remove financial and administrative barriers while protecting patient trust, clinic time, and program sustainability.
Duties and responsibilities
Treatment Plan and Patient Financial Communication
- Meet with or contact patients after dental appointments, as needed, to review recommended treatment, estimated patient responsibility, payment expectations, and next steps.
- Help patients understand costs related to crowns, bridges, dentures, partials, root canals, and other higher-cost or lab-related dental services.
- Provide additional information, resources, or internal referrals when finances are a barrier to completing recommended care.
- Communicate with patients in a clear, respectful, and supportive manner that reflects Heartland’s mission and The HEART in Heartland values.
Benefits, Prior Authorizations, and Patient Responsibility
- Verify dental benefits and coverage information as needed to support treatment planning and patient communication.
- Complete, submit, and track dental prior authorizations in accordance with payer requirements and Heartland workflows.
- Review treatment plans, benefit information, sliding fee eligibility, and payer requirements to help determine estimated patient responsibility.
- Enter estimated patient responsibility into the appropriate system so Dental PSRs/front desk staff know what amount should be collected.
- Communicate authorization delays, denials, missing documentation, or payer-related barriers to the appropriate provider, patient, billing staff, or supervisor.
Scheduling Readiness and Appointment Follow-Up
- Ensure required prior authorization, patient payment, lab coordination, and documentation steps are complete before scheduling applicable rehabilitative or lab-related dental appointments.
- Contact patients to schedule higher-cost or longer dental appointments once readiness requirements are met.
- Reinforce attendance expectations for longer appointments to reduce late cancellations, no-shows, and lost chair time.
- Follow up with patients before scheduled rehabilitative appointments as needed to support attendance and treatment completion.
Lab and High-Cost Procedure Tracking
- Monitor lab-related treatment workflows to help ensure patient charges, expected collections, and lab bills are reviewed and communicated appropriately.
- Track lab-related services such as crowns, bridges, dentures, partials, and other prosthetic or rehabilitative procedures.
- Coordinate with billing staff or dental leadership when lab fees, patient charges, or collection expectations appear inconsistent or need review.
- Identify recurring issues related to under-collection, payer limitations, lab charges, or patient payment barriers and communicate concerns to the supervisor.
Documentation and Communication
- Document patient communication, prior authorization activity, estimated patient responsibility, payment status, resources provided, scheduling readiness, and follow-up actions accurately and timely.
- Review dental provider schedules to ensure patient responsibility information is entered and available for front desk collection workflows.
- Use eCW, payer portals, tracking tools, and other assigned systems accurately.
- Support compliance with Heartland policies, payer requirements, HIPAA, documentation standards, and dental program procedures.
- Complete assigned trainings in a timely manner.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Review dental treatment plans for services requiring patient financial coordination, prior authorization, lab involvement, or extended appointment time.
- Meet with or contact patients to explain recommended treatment, expected appointments, estimated costs, insurance coverage, prior authorization requirements, and payment expectations.
- Help patients understand their estimated patient responsibility for treatment, including applicable sliding fee scale, benefit limitations, copays, balances, and non-covered services.
- Communicate estimated patient responsibility to Dental PSRs/front desk staff so the appropriate amount can be collected before or at the time of service, according to Heartland policy.
- Ensure patients have paid the required patient portion before scheduling applicable rehabilitative or lab-related dental appointments, according to established workflows.
- Document patient communication, estimated responsibility, payment status, and next steps accurately in the appropriate systems.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- High School diploma or equivalent is required.
- Must be fluent in English, other language skills are a plus
- Must have at least 2 years Patient/Customer Care experience in a healthcare environment (physician’s office, clinic, or hospital)
- Customer-service oriented; patient-centered focus that promotes the satisfaction and well-being of those we are called to serve
- Ability to handle money and reconcile daily deposits
- Demonstrates high level of confidentiality
- Demonstrated ability to learn technology systems; generally, technology-savvy
- Strong verbal communications skills and ability to communicate ideas and concepts successfully
- Demonstrated ability to remain calm when under pressure and ability to work well in a fast-paced environment
- Good computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft programs
- High energy, positive attitude, ability to work autonomously, flexibility, teamwork, attention to detail, and high degree of initiative
- Upholds Heartland’s guiding values of Compassion, Respect, Collaboration, and Integrity
- Maintains regular and predictable attendance
Working conditions
- The incumbent will be faced with constant interruptions and may need to meet with others on a regular basis
- Job tasks are performed in close physical proximity to other people
- Requires work with external customers or the public
- May includes exposure to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable
- Requires working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions
- Includes exposure to disease or infections
- Requires the ability to maintain composure when confronted with fast-paced and stressful situations
Physical requirements
- Requires sufficient visual acuity to be able to read and write and operate equipment common to this position
- Requires sitting, standing, ambulating, and dexterity in hands
- Required to read, write and speak English
- Requires sufficient hearing level to be able to effectively communicate with people directly or by telephone
- Occasionally lift items weighing up to 25 pounds
Details
- Hours M – F from 7:30 am – 7 pm as needed (average of 40 hours per week)
- Hours are approximate and may be altered by supervisor(s) as needed
