The Patient Financial Advocate (PFA) is responsible for establishing and maintaining a relationship with patients while ensuring that patients who receive services from ProMedica have been properly screened for financial responsibility and are made aware of available avenues for financial assistance and payer sources such as Medicaid & Cobra. The PFA continually supports patients in understanding their financial responsibility, managing patients’ expectations while assisting in establishing payment arrangements, managing referrals for specific patients so authorized services are received, and providing the basis for maximum reimbursement. The PFA is responsible for thorough documentation and account notes, including coordination with other staff who refer patients as well as patients who request financial counseling. 

The position is largely patient facing in areas of registration or at bedside, so a substantial focus on customer service is necessary. Contact may also be made with the patient via telephone. The PFA will be bed-side offering in-person financial counseling and education to patients. The PFA ensures proper follow up, documentation, and adherence to ProMedica’s policies and procedures. Given the potentially sensitive nature of these conversations, the PFA needs to prioritize patient experience and patient communication. The PFA must promote an attitude of professionalism at all times and demonstrate model behavior that embodies and reinforces ProMedica’s values and mission to improve the health and well-being of the community.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

*All duties listed below are essential unless noted otherwise*

1. Keep ProMedica’s mission, “To improve your health and well-being,” as the foundation of employment.

2. Demonstrate personally and foster a work environment that includes ProMedica’s Values, Compassion, Innovation, Teamwork, and Excellence.

3. Provides excellent service and timely support to ensure quality of patient care and experience.

4. Responsible for daily management of patient interviews to assess patient liability, create estimates, and completion of financial screening and counseling for payment options.

5. Provides patient financial education, responsibilities, estimates prior to service, determines charity care, third party eligibility, and point-of-service collections.

6. Assist patients in completing the application process for any payer source including but not limited to Medicaid, Cobra, and all other public funding resources (excluding Marketplace and Social Security Disability), to ensure applications are complete, deadlines are met, and the certification process is expedited.

7. Coordinate with external vendors as appropriate to ensure eligibility for possible insurance or government programs has been thoroughly reviewed and pursued.

8. Identify other options to resolve financial obligation that results in financial clearance for services.

9. Consistently communicates issues and helps to review and implement people, process, and technology improvement as appropriate