This individual is responsible for entry level knowledge of the core front office duties at Newsom Eye. Those duties include phone reception, check-in, insurance verification, chart preparation, checkout, and a general knowledge of the front office processes, protocols, and policies.
Education and Experience:
1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Associates degree preferred.
3. Customer service experience preferred.
4. Two years experience in medical office and/or customer service related environment preferred.
5. Basic working knowledge of Microsoft Office and computer use.
Essential Skills and Abilities:
1. Excellent customer service and communication skills.
2. Empathetic personality giving attention to patient’s concerns and needs.
3. Management of multiple tasks simultaneously.
4. Ability to follow instructions and conform to office protocol.
5. Analytical problem-solving skills.
6. Strong organization skills with attention to detail.
7. Respectful treatment of patients and co-workers, with ability to work in as a team player.
8. Pleasant personality and disposition, with positive attitude.
9. Triage complicated situations to Front Office Manager.
10. Ability to pass drug test
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Any and all duties assigned by management with an emphasis on the following:
- GENERAL
- Schedules, reschedules, and cancels appointments as necessary; with appropriate physician and appointment types.
- Contact patients for any demographic, medical and insurance information needed.
- Ability to provide support and cross-coverage to ensure efficient front office operations (especially during employee absenteeism and lunch hours).
- Assist patients in obtaining authorization or referrals that have not been received.
- Handle and appropriately distribute inbound calls.
- Understand office work flow and patient chart flow in order to locate charts as needed.
- Communication: Ensure that clinicians/physicians are made aware of patient cancellations/no-shows/rescheduling, messages, and pharmacy issues by providing detailed call-sheets with chart and placing in designated area.
- Understand monthly office supply ordering and follow protocol.
- End of day checklist.
2. Receptionist
- Schedule existing patients and pre-register new patient accounts, including co-managed or referring physicians that call to schedule consultations.
- Review and disburse all incoming facsimiles & mail for patient charts, physician review, medical records releases, resumes, etc.
- File patient records, reports, and results in charts, and route to proper person/department
- Patient recalls: prepare/satisfy them in Nextech, print and send as necessary.
- Maintain current magazines and/or newspapers in the lobby, discard when necessary.
- Maintain cleanliness in lobby: throw away trash, pick up items left behind by patients, straighten and return chairs to original positions, and bathroom (refill soap, paper towels, toilet paper).
- Maintain marketing supplies: bios, business cards, articles, etc.
3. Check-In:
- Greet patients as they enter building in pleasant and professional manner.
- Ensure protocols are followed
- Send patients with balances to checkout for payment before sending chart back to clinic.
- Confirm demographic information, case info, primary and secondary insurances, identification numbers, and billing addresses are entered correctly in Nextech. Make changes when necessary.
- Evaluate chart data to verify all information has been received, completed, updated and appropriate signatures obtained (i.e. Financial Policy Form, HIPAA, etc.)
- Scan patient’s insurance and identification card(s): MUST BE UPDATED EACH AND EVERY VISIT.
- Ensure that proper authorization and referral insurance cards are collected from the patient when flagged by billing department.
- Mark arrival time of patients per office protocol. Prioritize patient flow and signal/notify clinic proactively in order to manage patient flow and monitor patient wait time to ensure no patient waits longer than necessary due to being missed. Send charts back to clinical area when ready in a timely manner.
- Track patients in the reception area and communicate with them, as needed.
- Manage the day’s schedule according to protocol: place telephone calls to no-show appointments and reschedule as needed, include recalls and call-sheets.
- Provide back-up support on telephones.
- CHECKOUT
- Checkout all patients via review of marked procedures (CPT codes) and diagnosis (ICD-9 codes)
- Schedule all future appointments with appropriate physician and correct appointment type.
- Schedule all surgical procedures to include coordination with surgical center(s) and ensure that all required documents are completed, signed, submitted, and patients are made aware of their financial responsibilities.
- Calculate, present and collect all fees (co-pays, deductibles, refractions, topographies, past due and current self-pay amounts).
- Arrange for postoperative appointments with referring physician and/or co-managing physicians. Notify co-managed physician of surgery scheduled and fax proper paperwork and letters per protocol.
- Monitor and address accounts that are past due when flagged by billing department personnel – collection efforts must be made prior to services provided.
- Prepare and calculate patient financial responsibilities for all services provided, including surgeries. Fill out financial responsibility sheet correctly per outlined protocol.
- Ensure payments are secured until posted, to include cash drawers and daily reconciliations.
- Ensure that all monies and charges are accurately posted, and notes for unapplied monies are documented correctly in Nextech.
- Accurately reconcile all daily financial activities (payments/charges) and close out each day’s receipts for deposit.
- Stock and keep checkout area clean and organized per protocol.
- Provide back-up support on telephones.
- Insurance Verification
- Knowledge of medical insurance – deductibles, coinsurance, and co-payments.
- Securing of pre-authorization for patient procedures.
- Knowledge of commercial carrier’s online insurance verification tools.
- Update Nextech notes to include insurance verification information and pre-authorization information.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
