Collection Specialist (3283)

The purpose of this position is to ensure that SIU Healthcare is reimbursed for all professional services rendered, through established credit policies and procedures and the implementation of accounts receivable maintenance cycles.

80%Customer Service Duties
*Reviews patient accounts to help resolve patient complaints and disputes.
*Handles all returned correspondence with patient due to address issues.
*Responds to inquiries with insurance, coding, credentialing, and various department teams.
*Sends itemized statements to patient and attorneys upon request
*Works on various reports assigned by management (deceased, bad debt, bad address, etc.).
*Responds to patient inquiries received via phone, email, mail, or fax.
*Reviews credit balances on accounts and initiates the appropriate course of action.
*Work Electronic Task Management (ETM) tasks related to patient balances to determine next steps need to resolve (phone call, adjustment, insurance and/registration issue, etc.)
*Route any inquiries or disputes to the appropriate areas to be handled via ETM.
*Follows up on patient disputes in a timely manner to help resolve accounts.
*Review Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from insurance companies to help verify account balance and resolve issues for patients.
*Reviews account to verify that appropriate billing procedures have been followed. If not, the incumbent follows the appropriate course of action required to accurately complete the billing procedure.
*Reviews patient accounts and verifies that insurance billing is accurate.
*Contacts the patient via telephone and/or via correspondence to help resolve the outstanding balance on the account (payment, payment arrangement, or financial assistance)
*Verifies patient's demographic and insurance coverage as obtained during routine performance of duties and updates, if necessary.
*Sends Financial Assistance applications to guarantors as requested.
*Processes credit card payments.
*Understand and upholds HIPAA policies and procedures
*Make outbound calls to and take inbound calls to assist patients whom have questions regarding their accounts.
*Maintain proficiency with insurance and billing issues by participating in Customer Service meetings and training sessions as appropriate.
*Provide excellent customer service and adhere to SIU Behavioral service standards.
*Assists with staff training
*Assist with answering questions from other Collection series levels
*Handles Escalated patient phone calls/ETM's

15%Reception Area Coverage
*Handles all patients who report onsite to need assistance with account inquiries or disputes.
*Takes payments from patients.
*Scan incoming correspondence received via mail, fax, or email.
*Works the NCOA (Needs Change of Address) report from statement vendor.
*Takes any incoming calls from the switchboard and either answers inquiry or transfers to the appropriate areas.
5%Other duties as assigned.

1. Any one or any combination of the following, totaling one (1) year (12 months), from the categories below:
   1. college course work that included courses in finance, accounting, business administration, or business management, or a closely related field:
      • 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
      • Associate's Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
      • 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
      • Bachelor's degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)
   2. collection, consumer credit, or business experience that required knowledge of collection methods and procedures
2. One (1) year (12 months) of collection experience comparable to Collection Representative level or in other positions of comparable responsibility

If you require assistance, please contact the Office of Human Resources at hrrecruitment@siumed.edu or call 217-545-0223 Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.

The mission of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is to optimize the health of the people of central and southern Illinois through education, patient care, research and service to the community.

The SIU School of Medicine Annual Security Report is available online at https://www.siumed.edu/police-security. This report contains policy statements and crime statistics for Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, IL. This report is published in compliance with Federal Law titled the

"Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act."

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer who provides equal employment and educational opportunities for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, protected veteran status or marital status in accordance with local, state and federal law.

Pre-employment background screenings required.