Senior Secretary

• Job Type: Support Staff - Union
• Bargaining Unit: SSA
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $31.60 $31.60

Position Summary

The Senior Secretary is responsible for handling and resolving incoming phone calls from patients, insurance carriers and or physician offices. Responsibilities will include collections of outstanding patient balances, establishing payment arrangements, and updating patient and guarantor accounts with new demographic and insurance coverage information. The Senior Secretary must exhibit professional and courteous behavior at all times during patient and/or client interaction. Additionally, the Senior Secretary is responsible for handling billing/coding edits, and charge review by analyzing and resolving encounters in multiple workqueues.

Responsibilities

• Analyze multiple Epic workqueues require review, including but not limited to Charge Review, Return Mail, Accounts, Denials, and Registration edits. Execute charge and coding edits within charge review to achieve account resolution.
• Responsible for managing and reviewing self-pay accounts. Attempt to collect full payments from the patient or guarantor in a professional and courteous manner. Provide itemized statements upon request and monthly for self-pay accounts.
• Establishes payment arrangements per FPO guidelines. Document terms in the billing system. Develop solutions to help address patient financial needs in accordance with FPO policies and procedures.
• Handle a high volume of calls and perform work in a timely manner. customer inquiries, disputes, and complaints in a professional and courteous manner. Escalate contentious complaints to a supervisor or higher management.
• Obtain all insurance, demographic, and guarantor information, update patient demographics, and bill third-party payers as appropriate.
• Clearly documents in the system summary of work and follow-up steps after each call.
• Conforms to all applicable HIPAA, Billing Compliance, and safety policies and guidelines.
• Performs other job duties as required and assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Two Years of college or completion of secretarial school or equivalent business experience plus a minimum of two to three years related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.

• A minimum of 2-year experience in a physician billing or third-party payer environment.

• Patient financial and practice management system experience in Epic and or other of electronic billing systems.

• Knowledge of medical terminology and previous experience in an academic healthcare setting.

• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage time effectively; and ability to work independently.

• Functional proficiency in computer software skills (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, E-mail, etc.).

• Ideal candidate is a motivated individual with a positive attitude and exceptional work ethic.

Other Requirements

• Typing 60-65 WPM.
• Must successfully complete all online systems training requirements.

• Candidate must demonstrate working knowledge of contracts, insurance benefits, exclusions, and other billing requirements as well as claim forms, HMOs, PPOs, Medicare, Medicaid, and compliance program regulations.

• Candidate must demonstrate the ability to understand and navigate the payer adjudication process.

• Candidate must demonstrate a strong customer service and patient focused orientation and the ability to communicate, adapt, and respond to complex situations. Including the ability to diffuse complex situations in a calm and professional manner.

• Must demonstrate effective communication skills both verbally and written.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.