Assistant Financial Navigator

Please note: this is a temporary assignment. Duration: 6 months (potential to extend).

The Center for Reproductive Health (CRH) Assistant Patient Financial Navigator position is responsible for providing high-level assistance to patients undergoing fertility treatment and helping them navigate the complexities of fertility billing. The position supports the team of Financial Navigators and serves as a link between the CRH clinical practice, the practice billing team and UCSF billing entities (notably the billing agents and the single billing office (SBO), with the objective of increasing patient satisfaction and reducing patient billing complaints and grievances. This position has been created to provide a patient resource and advocate for CRH patients and will be responsible for supporting various functions including: managing the financial customer service line, providing administrative support to the finance team and other assignments as needed. A high degree of independence, initiative, assertiveness and diplomacy are necessary to work with CRH patients in a complex environment. The Assistant Patient Financial Navigator must be able to manage and mitigate patient financial issues in an accurate and timely manner.

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences (Ob/Gyn & RS) is a major academic Department in the School of Medicine, engaged in clinical, research, and training activities at the Parnassus, Mt. Zion and San Francisco General Hospital campuses, as well as satellite locations throughout the Bay Area, with an annual operating budget of $129.2 million and the new Betty Irene Moore Women's Hospital at Mission Bay. The Department has 102 full-time faculty, 136 other academic appointees, 39 post-doctoral fellows, 20 clinical fellows, 36 residents, 136 voluntary clinical faculty, and 266 staff. The mission of the UCSF Department of OBGYN & Reproductive Sciences is to improve the lives and health of all women through excellence, innovation and leadership in Patient Care, Scientific Discovery, Education, Advocacy. "Leading the way in women's health."

The Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) Division and the REI Research Group (REIRG), within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, conducts clinical research relating to all aspects of fertility and reproduction, including specific disorders, such as menopause, infertility, endometrial dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Key Responsibilities:

60%

Manages and addresses all phone inquiries from the financial customer service line, which involves the following:

Anticipate patient financial needs; provide general financial roadmap to patients to set expectations
Provide general financial consultations
Inform patients of financial liability, insurance coverage, limitations and external/alternate financial options
Interpret insurance contracts
Document all interactions with and on behalf of patient
Act as communication liaison and clinic resource

10%

Supports FN team in the following:

Reply to patient inquiries via email or the IDEAS patient portal
Conduct financial consults in-person, asynchronous or synchronous basis
Secure collection of patient accounts

10%

Addresses patient financial grievances at point of service. Identifies appropriate resource as needed. Utilizes knowledge of unit or clinic operations to propose new workflows or methods to increase future patient satisfaction.

10%

Conducts billing account audit and reconciliation, and provides financial estimates via phone, email and/or the Ideas Patient Portal system.

5%

Provides new patients with an overview of resources and general information on billing, scheduling, and locating resources for clinical questions or concerns.

3%

Participates in workgroups and other special projects as required to support improvements in the patient financial experience.

2%

Gathers and documents trends on patient issues, barriers or concerns and provides recommendations to management