Collections Representative

This position follows Office-Based schedule with 2 in-office days per week. Our office is located at 228 Billerica Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824.

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

This position is full-time, Monday - Friday. Employees are required to work an 8-hour shift schedule during our normal business hours of 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, 2 in office days and 3 from home. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime.

We offer up to 12 weeks of paid training. The hours during training will be aligned with your schedule. Training will be conducted onsite.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Answers phone calls in a high volume call center environment, fielding calls from patients, insurance carriers, attorneys, and third-party agents, practice staff and clinicians. Maintains composure and professional communications with difficult patients and insurers during financial collection discussions
• Works toward monthly goals of customer service standards and patient financial collections
• Investigates and resolves billing problems using various data and reference material on hand including computer reports, explanation of benefit material, phone inquires and web-site pages
• Researches the non-payment of outstanding balances in a timely and accurate manner. This includes patients, insurance companies, or other third party liability, with focus on self-pay. Resolve, update and resubmit to insurer as appropriate. This includes working, processing and completing monthly assignments for all accounts
• Initiates actions in attempt to collect outstanding patient balances such as contacting patients directly, negotiating payment arrangements and settlements, writing and sending letters and/or final notices and referring patients to third party agency for further collection actions
• Initiates contact to patients for any missing or erroneous demographic and insurance information, update and process as necessary
• Collects and processes patient payments, entering credit card payments into online tool and may perform posting payments into billing system for certain accounts
• May review and process patient refunds in response to patient overpayments and patient accounts that have overpayments and bad debt
• Handles and processes bankruptcy notifications and claims
• Provides billing statements for various requests including third party agencies including medical expense verifications and health care reimbursement accounts
• Responds to patient billing inquiries sent via public web-site or e-mail
• Perform investigation using available sources of information to locate updated address/contact information on returned patient billing statements
• Performs other duties as assigned

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma / GED OR equivalent work experience
• Must be 18 years of age OR older
• 1+ year of experience working with self pay/physicians billing
• Ability to work full-time, Monday - Friday. Employees are required to work an 8-hour shift schedule during our normal business hours of 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, 2 in office days and 3 from home. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with self pay/physician's collections
• Knowledge of ICD-10, CPT-4 and HCPCS coding
• Knowledge of medical terminology

Telecommuting Requirements:

• Reside within commutable distance to the office at 228 Billerica Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
• Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)
• Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy.
• Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service.

Soft Skills:

• Proven outstanding customer service and excellent communication skills are necessary to interact with third party agents and patients both verbally and in writing.
• Proven ability to work in a fast paced environment and flexibility in adapting to changes in policies, regulations and procedures.
• Proven ability to use all electronic tools and applications relevant to the performance of the duties of the position, including but not limited to phone, keyboard, computer and computer applications.
• Proven to perform all job functions in compliance with applicable federal, state, local and company policies and procedures

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $18 - $32 hourly based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

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