Collection Clerk

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JOB SUMMARY:
Assists Financial Coordinator in collections. Assists in perpetual Medicare cost report.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  1. Collects delinquent accounts, establishes payment arrangements with patients, and follows up to ensure that delinquent accounts are being paid.
  2. Evaluates unpaid accounts. Works with collection-agency and small-claims court action accounts. Represents the hospital in all court cases dealing with outstanding patient account bills.
  3. Responsible for Medicare Bad-Debt Cost Report. Determines the deductible and coinsurance for each account. Maintains perpetual system on Medicare bad-debt accounts to assist in preparing the year-end cost report.
  4. Initiates payment claims against estates. Checks deaths monthly to see if a patient has an unpaid balance. Keeps informed on estate sales and administrator notices by checking local newspapers. Keeps records current with a patient's estate and the Clerk of the Court.
  5. Establishes contact with pre-OB patients. Interviews and obtains all essential information from the patient. Establishes payment arrangement prior to delivery, and sends a monthly statement to each pre-OB patient, stating the balance due.
  6. Establishes payroll deductions for hospital employees for outstanding patient accounts. Obtains signature from the hospital for automatic transfers. Prepares the payroll deduction form and gives it to the Personnel Director. Combines background information on hospital employee accounts and files same in the payroll deduction file.
  7. Handles all bankruptcy accounts. Collects all accounts written off to bad debt, and files a copy with the bankruptcy office. Advises the bankruptcy office of paid-out accounts, if any.
  8. Handles all purge-off accounts and reports them to collection agencies.
  9. Sets up all contract accounts.
  10. Handles all Medicare bad-debt statements.
  11. Works on payment arrangements with self-paying accounts that are overdue.
  12. Is well informed on fire and disaster plan.
  13. Attends any meeting or workshop that will ensure better methods of collection, when assigned by the Financial Coordinator.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Assists Patient Account Representatives.
  2. Assists the PBX operator and cashier.
  3. Assists with any office work within the department as directed by the Financial Coordinator.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY:

  1. College or technical school training.
  2. At least four (4) years' work experience in collection.