Patient Access Associate PRN Nights-ED

At Houston Methodist, the Patient Access Associate position is responsible for obtaining and entering accurate demographic and insurance information in the electronic health record (EHR) on patients presenting at the various entry points of the facility. This position performs cashiering functions, ensuring that all hospital accounts are secure, through the collection of the required co-pay, deductibles and co-insurance. This position also performs the medical necessity check, to ensure compliance with Medicare guidelines. The Patient Access Associate position employs effective communication skills, promoting excellent customer service in every interaction. This position is also required to adhere to all departments, hospital, governmental and/or any other healthcare licensing agency requirements related to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). **FLSA STATUS** Non-exempt **QUALIFICATIONS** **EDUCATION** - High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.) **EXPERIENCE** - Two years of experience in a strong customer service environment - One year of registration experience in a hospital environment preferred **SKILLS AND ABILITIES** - Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations - Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security - Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles - Ability to multi-task and flexibility to meet the requirements of the patients and the department - Knowledge of basic registration/access functions and insurance procedures - Ability to problem solve - Ability to remain calm in stressful situations with patience and understanding - Excellent customer service and professional communication skills - Proficient computer skills and ability to learn and navigate multiple software programs - Ability to handle detail work accurately and rapidly **ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS** **PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS** - Promotes a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic team focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal departmental and organizational results. - Communicates openly in a non-judgmental manner and in a professional demeanor during all interactions with customers and co-workers. **SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS** - Obtains and records accurate demographic and insurance information on patients by interviewing patients, family members and physicians. Ensures that the correct insurance plan codes are utilized for the billing process. - Explains the consent forms, obtains signatures on the forms and responds to any questions in a professional manner. - Contributes to departmental and hospital patient experience. Proactively seeks solutions to address patient issues and concerns. Alerts management in a timely manner to any unusual and/or difficult situations impacting the level of service. **QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS** - Consistently takes the necessary steps to ensure that protected health information remains private and confidential, according to established HIPAA guidelines. Uses patient identifiers consistently to properly identify patients and the correct medical records. Refrains from issuing new medical record numbers to patients with existing accounts. - Meets goals set by the department (e.g., registration error rate, productivity/activities per hour, etc.). **FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS** - Ensures that ordered services mee…