Revenue Cycle Representative (Financial Counseling) - Self-Pay, Analytics, Revenue Cycle Counseling (SPARC) - Patient Financial Services (PFS)

Job Summary

The University of Iowa Health Care department of Patient Financial Services is seeking a Revenue Cycle Representative (RCR) for an entry-level customer service and financial related position in the healthcare industry.  The RCR in the Self-Pay, Analytics, Revenue Cycle Counseling (SPARC) division will provide a consistent, efficient, and high-level quality customer service for patients via phone and face-to-face.

The Financial Counselor will be expected to provide exceptional customer service to our external customers: patients, patient families, insurance contacts, etc; as well as internal customers.  You will support our “Service Excellence” standards to all our customer groups by demonstrating compassion, empathy, and respecting patient rights.  You will utilize tools and processes to make independent decisions and maintain a high level of integrity regarding patient rights. The Financial Counselor must have a demonstrated ability to prioritize, multi-task & quickly change focus in fast-paced team environment.   You will be expected to provide accurate and comprehensive information (verbally and in writing) to patients, outside agencies and various administrative and management personnel regarding all third-party interactions, patient billing and customer service activities.  

This position is primarily a combination of remote and onsite (hybrid) work locations.  Remote work must be performed at an offsite location within the State of Iowa.  Training will be held either on ONSITE at the HSSB building or via zoom, with location and length of training determined by the supervisor.  Remote eligibility will be evaluated upon a satisfactory job training opportunity.  Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.

University of Iowa Health Care—recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States—is Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center and a regional referral center. Each day more than 12,000 employees, students, and volunteers work together to provide safe, quality health care and excellent service for our patients. Simply stated, our mission is: Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.®

WE CARE Core Values:

• Welcoming - We have an environment where everyone has a voice that is heard; that promotes the dignity of our patients, trainees, and employees; and allows all to thrive in their health, work, research, and education.
• Excellence - We achieve and deliver our personal and collective best in the pursuit of quality and accessible health care, education, and research.
• Collaboration - We collaborate with health care systems, providers, and communities across Iowa and the region as well as within our UI community. We believe teamwork—guided by compassion—is the best way to work.
• Accountability - We behave ethically, act with fairness and integrity, take responsibility for our own actions and respond when errors in behavior or judgment occur.
• Respect - We create an environment where every individual feels safe, valued, and respected, supporting the well-being and success of all members of our community.
• Empowerment - We commit to fair access to research, health care, and education for our community and opportunities for personal and professional growth for our staff and learners.

Position Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with clinical department leaders, medical staff, and hospital coders to identify anticipated services and facilitate financial clearance, estimation, and funding options for financially insecure patients.
• Educate department leaders, medical staff, and other UI Health Care employees regarding patient financial processes, including the Patient Access Policy, No Surprises Act requirements, financial assistance programs, and the Pre-Service Charge Adjustment Review Team (CART) process.
• Prepare, submit, and facilitate Pre-Service CART requests and collaborate with stakeholders to support financial access to care for uninsured and underinsured patients.
• Verify insurance benefits and utilize knowledge of CPT coding, payer requirements, reimbursement methodologies, and Epic Estimator to generate accurate self-pay, insured, and treatment plan estimates, including Good Faith Estimates as required by the No Surprises Act.
• Provide financial counseling to patients and families regarding insurance benefits, anticipated liability, payment options, financial assistance programs, and available funding resources to facilitate informed healthcare decisions.
• Screen patients for financial assistance programs and connect patients to available resources, including Medicaid, Marketplace plans, COBRA, internal financial assistance programs, payment plans, charitable funding sources, and external financing options.
• Educate patients regarding financial responsibility and facilitate pre-service collections and payment arrangements in accordance with organizational policies.
• Identify and resolve coverage, authorization, referral, reimbursement, estimation, and financial clearance issues by collaborating with providers, payers, patients, and internal departments.
• Maintain and prioritize assigned Epic work queues to ensure timely completion of financial clearance, estimation, financial assistance, and follow-up activities.
• Analyze reports and operational data to identify trends, estimation inaccuracies, reimbursement concerns, and process improvement opportunities; provide recommendations and status updates to leadership.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for financial counseling, estimation workflows, CART processes, financial assistance programs, and patient financial engagement activities.
• Participate in departmental initiatives designed to improve patient experience, operational efficiency, revenue cycle performance, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain established productivity, quality, accuracy, customer service, and compliance standards while performing assigned duties.

Classification Title: Revenue Cycle Representative (Financial Counseling)

Department:  Patient Financial Services (SPARC)

Pay Grade: 2B
Additionally a 5% high−intensity, high−volume patient contact stipend for the work performed on a daily basis on the Financial Counseling Team. If you leave this unit for a Revenue Cycle Representative position in another unit or move to a different job class, the 5% amount you received for the high−intensity, high−volume patient contact stipend will be deducted from your base salary.

Percent of Time: 100%

Location:  Hospital Support Services Building (HSSB)
This position is primarily a combination of remote and onsite (hybrid) work locations.  Remote work must be performed at an offsite location within the State of Iowa.  Training will be held either on ONSITE at the HSSB building or via zoom, with location and length of training determined by the supervisor.  Remote eligibility will be evaluated upon a satisfactory job training opportunity.  Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.

Equipment:

Onsite – The department will provide a workstation which contains 3 (three) monitors, laptop/power cord, docking station/power cord, keyboard, mouse, headset, and desk supplies can be found in the supply closet.

Hybrid – while working onsite, the department will provide a workstation which contains 3 (three) monitors, a laptop/power cord, docking station/power cord, keyboard, mouse, headset, and desk supplies. When working offsite, the employee will take their laptop/power cord to carry back and forth, a second docking station/power cord to keep offsite. Prior to working offsite, the employee, at their own expense, will need to supply 2 (two) monitors, in addition to the university-issued laptop, which will serve as a third monitor due to its built-in camera function, a keyboard, and a mouse. Employees will be required to provide a photo of the domicile office setup and perform an internet speed test by visiting https://www.speedtest.net/ with a minimum 30mb download and 10mb upload reflecting a University of Iowa IP address, then providing a screenshot of the speed test to HR.  The employee’s remote workstation should replicate the onsite setup as if they were working onsite at HSSB.

Remote - when working offsite, the department will provide the employee a laptop/power cord, docking station/power cord, headset. Prior to working offsite and at their own expense, the employee will be required to obtain or possess 2 (two) monitors, in addition to the university-issued laptop, which will serve as a third monitor due to its built-in camera function, a keyboard, and a mouse. Employees will be required to provide a photo of the domicile office setup and perform an internet speed test by visiting https://www.speedtest.net/ with a minimum 30mb download and 10mb upload reflecting a University of Iowa IP address, then providing a screenshot of the speed test to HR.  The employee’s remote workstation should replicate the onsite setup as if they were working onsite at HSSB.