Patient Support/Insurance Assistant

UC Santa Cruz Student Health Services is recruiting for a Patient Support/Insurance Assistant. This is a partial year career position with a 4-week unpaid summer work break. Positions with summer work breaks contain regularly scheduled non-work periods during which the Patient Support/Insurance Assistant remains an employee, retains health benefits, but is not at work.

As the largest employer in the county, rated as one of the most beautiful campuses, located on the coast overlooking Monterey Bay, UC Santa Cruz employs over 3,100 people in non-academic positions alone. Career staff at UC Santa Cruz have access to comprehensive benefits packages.

Here is a sample of those benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision care plans
• Group term life insurance including employee-paid supplemental coverage
• University-paid disability insurance with employee-paid supplemental coverage
• Retirement program
• Pet Insurance
• Tax-deferred savings program

UC Santa Cruz career staff also enjoy having 13 paid annual holidays, reduced enrollment fees for academic
courses, discounts on our recreation facilities, free or low-cost employee development classes, and
reduced fees for alternative methods of transportation.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University
visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

Thank you for your interest in UC Santa Cruz Student Health Services !

HOW TO APPLY

For full consideration, applicants should attach their resume and cover letter when applying for a job opening. For guidance related to the application process or if you are experiencing difficulties when applying, please review the Applicant Resources on our Talent Acquisition website.

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

Application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring unit for consideration. Materials submitted after the IRD will ONLY be forwarded at the request of the hiring unit. To ensure your application is routed for consideration, submit your materials before 11:59 p.m. on the IRD. Talent Acquisition cannot accept application materials outside of the jobs portal, and is unable to update submitted applications on an applicant's behalf, or forward communications to the hiring units. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 10-23-2024

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) Student Health Services (SHS) is a full-service medical facility offering clinical, educational, and psychological support to UCSC students. SHS is deeply committed to ensuring affordable, well-integrated, multidisciplinary healthcare that effectively supports the university's diverse campus communities through equitable access and culturally competent, high-quality programs and services.

The Primary Care Program includes primary care and same-day care, with the support of on-site radiology, a COLA-accredited clinical laboratory and a campus pharmacy. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) supports UCSC students to maintain or improve their general well-being by providing a broad range of counseling, psychiatric services, consultation and outreach services and programs.

Other areas of service include Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP), home of the Condom Co-op; CARE (Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education), the advocacy and prevention education office that supports survivors of sexual assault, stalking, and dating/domestic violence; and Student Insurance Programs. SHS employs approximately 150 staff including physicians, psychiatrists, case managers, lab scientists, pharmacists, nurses, radiologists, and many other clinical and administrative staff.

Student Health Services welcomes staff with interest and experience in working with students with a wide range of ethnic, cultural, and gender identities.

More information can be found at: https://healthcenter.edu

JOB SUMMARY

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Director for Clinic Support, Billing, and Insurance, the Patient Support/Insurance Assistant performs a wide variety of tasks in the following areas: Reception, Appointment Scheduling, Insurance and Billing and may be assigned back-up duties for Medical Records and Cashiering.

Primary functional area of responsibility will vary depending on operational need within Student Health Services (SHS) and may dictate any combination of duties. Utilizing medical background and training and in accordance with department policies. each position is cross-trained in all areas and provides backup support and/or primary coverage depending on the staffing level and the time of year.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $28.47/hr
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Partial Year Career appointment, four week summer furlough

Job End Date: None

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus

Union Representation: Clerical Employees (CX)

Job Code Classification: BLANK AST 3 (004722)

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

50% - Reception/Appointment Scheduling

• Provide primary reception and service oriented receiving of customers in the Student Health Center (SHC).
• Greet visitors; direct incoming clients to the appropriate departments; register students for Same Day Care and check in students for scheduled appointments. Directly interact with Triage and/or Charge Nurse for matters of patient acuity; verify accuracy of current contact and insurance information.
• Provide educational information and serve customers in an emotionally-supportive manner in accordance with department guidelines as needed; explain available services, basis for availability of care, eligibility requirements for service. Explain basic billing and financial options. Advise patients and visitors regarding policies, procedures and requirements.
• Answer phones: take messages or route calls appropriately. Independently, and after thorough training, maintain, update and review clinical staff schedule, coordinate problems relating to clinical coverage; provide feedback to supervisor for improvements in office procedures; track weekly crutch rental and return per SHC policy.
• Provide primary scheduling of medical appointments for students within the parameters of the SHC guidelines.
• Assist students to assess acuity of requested appointments; balance phone and walk-in appointment-making requests.
• Proactively monitor and adjust daily clinic schedules and templates in real-time to account for unanticipated absences to help assure adequate patient access to care. This position is required to use informed analysis and judgment based on clinical knowledge to cancel or reschedule appointments in response to unexpected clinician absence.
• Utilize tact, discretion and confidentiality in all communications with staff, students, families, and outside medical services.

40% - Insurance

• Instruct Student Health Services (SHS) clerical and clinical staff, students, other UC departments and outside providers on all aspects of the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) and CruzCare.
  Work directly with and serve as a resource for interpretation of insurance and billing policy and procedures for clinical and administrative staff, clinicians, and other departmental personnel.
• Follow procedures needed to administer the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP), including Dental, Vision and CruzCare by: confirming eligibility and benefits for insurance coverage; advising students of policy and procedure when receiving clinical referrals to receive health care off campus; acting as liaison between the clinician, student, outside health care provider and claims processor; as well as explanation of procedures and student benefits, regardless of insurance.
• Maintain awareness of deadlines and excellent working relationships with the Registrar's Office, Student Business Services, Cashier's Office, Graduate Division, Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, community health care providers and facilities, claims processors and SHS clinical staff, as needed, to accomplish these tasks.
• Aid students in comprehension of correspondence between the insurance carriers and the student, and the insurance carriers and the providers.
• Participate in annual updates for student insurance plans by giving feedback regarding the plan's effectiveness and recommended changes.
• Obtain prior authorization from outside and internal insurance providers for advanced imaging such as MRI, PET, CAT scans, by following chart notes and providing further information, if necessary, to obtain said authorizations so the patient can obtain the necessary care in a timely manner.
• Track referrals/retro-referrals for the purpose of follow-up and quality management of urgent or important cases to private providers in the community.
• Communicate regularly with UC SHIP and the insurance carriers on their services.
• Oversee and process UC SHIP waivers each quarter.
• Update and maintain Insurance FileMaker database.
• Document patient visits and communications.
• Follow up with patients using Request Tracker and secure messaging.

10% - General Administrative Assistance

• To provide the best operational flexibility and in order to maintain high quality customer service, the Patient Support/Insurance Assistant may provide back-up to all SHC Patient Support Departments, including the Medical Records Department and Cashiering.
• Update materials, create and maintain files and provide general administrative support; create, input and update various databases; manage computerized files.
• Coordinate arrangements for special programs and/or meetings.
• Keep bulletin boards and literature information up to date.
• Act as troubleshooting support liaison between patient and clinical staff.
• Participate in Quality Assurance projects as assigned.
• Provide special project work as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalent experience
• Customer-oriented: ability to listen and anticipate the needs of customers; responds quickly to customer problems
• Demonstrated knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and diagnostic tests
• Demonstrated knowledge of medical records management
• Experience using computerized scheduling systems, information retrieval and data entry
• Demonstrated ability to operate miscellaneous office equipment including PC
• Demonstrated experience and ability to review data from multiple information systems including but not limited to Insurance Carrier and Broker Websites
• Excellent written communication skills
• Excellent oral communication skills; ability to relate complex detailed information clearly and concisely to a diverse population
• Demonstrated ability to identify, research and resolve complex problems
• Close attention to detail with the ability to proofread work carefully
• Demonstrated exceptional organizational skills which allow tasks to be completed quickly and accurately
• Experience with and the ability to work on multiple tasks concurrently with frequent interruptions
• Excellent listening skills with the ability to work and communicate in a positive and cooperative manner with management and supervisory staff, medical staff, co-workers, and other healthcare personnel, patients and their families when providing information and services, seeking assistance and clarification and resolving problems
• Ability to handle difficult, sensitive and confidential situations tactfully with accuracy, timeliness, confidentiality, and sensitivity
• Sensitivity to ethnic, cultural and lifestyle diversity

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• One year clerical experience in a medical setting using computerized practice management systems and multiple phone line systems
• Experience changing computerized practice management clinician schedules
• Experience processing insurance referrals, denied claims, and eligibility

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Will be required to work all scheduled hours on-site.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• Will be required to complete HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility/training) within 30 days of hire.
• Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
• Will be required to comply with current Student Health Services employee health safety requirements for health care workers as defined by state and federal regulatory agencies; current health safety requirements to be discussed during interview
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees.

For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination