Physician Office Assistant

Job Description Summary:

The Physician Office Assistant will assume responsibility for verifying insurance benefits, updating eligibility to reflect appropriate payers, and making sure that date of service(s) are being sent to be transferred to the correct guarantors. They may also be asked to help fill in other areas of Patient Accounts as needed.They provide services to individuals impacted by a variety of behavioral health (addiction/substance abuse and mental health) issues, recognizing that the individuals we serve often have experienced trauma that affects their development and adjustment. They demonstrate a warm and welcoming empathic, hopeful attitude, conveying a philosophy of dual recovery. They will be trained in trauma-informed care and will work to help provide services in an environment that is sensitive and responsive which will prevent victimization, abuse, or trauma as a result of the care received.

Education:

• Requires a high school diploma or GED.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prefer a candidate who has at least 1 year of previous billing experience and a bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities:

• Compiles all of the billing to be submitted electronically or manually either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on the guarantor
• Verify any eligibility issues and work with appropriate staff to have eligibility updated and dates of service transferred to the correct guarantor.
• Work with insurance companies to verify any discrepancies that come about through billing.
• Run weekly reports to see what veriforms have not been updated within a 7-month period
• Initiate any authorizations while verifying insurance if authorization is required. If they cannot answer all the questions, they must notify the offices of authorizations needed.
• Maintain aging percentages to remain at or below assigned percentages. Can include calling companies to check if they received the claims, the status of those claims, and resubmitting any claims that are missing. This will also include working outstanding balances previous to the beginning of this position and working any outstanding non-applied cash on the account.
• Work with the clients that call in to establish a payment agreement and/or collect payment to ensure collection of payment.
• Filing of department paperwork, creation and maintenance of patient files, and working incoming mail.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements:

• Includes being able to sit for prolonged periods of time.
• Frequent standing, bending, stooping, and occasional lifting.
• Requires normal range of hearing and manual dexterity sufficient to operate keyboard, telephone, photocopier, calculator, and other office equipment as needed
• Requires the ability to work under stressful conditions and to work irregular hours as needed.
• TB test upon hire.