The Patient Encounter Associate performs all support functions related to patient reception, scheduling and financial pre-clearance, ensuring a high degree of patient satisfaction and maximum reimbursement to the institution. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: scheduling, pre-registration, self-pay screening and insurance eligibility determination. Responsible for obtaining and verifying patient demographic and insurance information, determining insurance/payment source, identifying necessary authorization or referral requirements, and assisting with determining and resolving insurance issues.

1. Greets patients in person and by telephone and updates their insurance/demographic information in the practice management system.

2. Gathers registration and financial information for patient pre-registration, enters the information into the practice management system and ensures all entries are complete and accurate.

3. Answers phones for the practice; schedules, re-schedules and cancels patient appointments based on established protocols.

4. Contacts patients at home to confirm scheduled and canceled appointments.

5. Checks in patients upon arrival at the practice and performs full registration, including: verification of demographics, completion of financial screening, prioritizing and verifying insurance as appropriate with third-party providers, making follow-up appointments, discussing MSMCs self-pay policy for new patients, completing of Medicare as Secondary Payer questionnaire if appropriate, and having patient read and sign NOPP.

6. Ensures the patient has paid, or collects, the appropriate co-pay under the direction of billing management, and provides the patient with a receipt as per cash-control protocols.

7. May perform simple to moderately-complex charge entry tasks or enter payments collected from patients and prepares Cashiers deposit. Note: duties are mutually exclusive and may not be performed by the same employee.

8. Facilitates prior authorization and appointment scheduling for diagnostic testing requested by providers for patients in EPIC.

9. Reviews status of waiting room on a regular basis and advises patients of wait times.

10. Ensures prior approval and other required procedures are met prior to delivery of care, by working collaboratively with other hospital departments.

11. Reconciles daily patient schedule with encounters closed.

12. Works billing edit reports and reviews encounters which may require correction.

13. Scans documents into EPIC on a daily basis.

14. Participates in system development and process improvement by providing feedback to Manager regarding issues in registration and change posting that impact negatively on operations.

15. Follows all HIPAA and other federal/state agency requirements regarding proper handling of PHI documents.

16. Other duties as assigned.

• HS/GED; Associates degree preferred
• 1 year physician practice experience. Must have a minimum of one week training on-site which will be provided by practice. Preferred: experience in a medical office setting, utilizing a computer system for physician scheduling

Collective bargaining unit: SEIU 1199-MSH

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