Dental Services Specialist

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Answers phones timely, in a polite manner, while continually providing excellent customer service
• Provide a warm greeting for all patients
• Display strong customer service skills that ensure that patients and family members have the desired patient experience
• Help patients navigate the healthcare system by providing clear and understandable instructions. Provides follow-up to unresolved patient questions or needs to ensure the appropriate continuity of care
• Assist patients in education of financial responsibility and connect them to advocacy resources as needed
• Obtain signature of patient or family member for consent to treatment and financial responsibility following the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules and regulations
• Confirm/verify insurance benefits with the appropriate carrier via online verification systems or telephone inquiries
• Conducts patient interview to collect accurate financial, biographic and demographic information for registration
• Appropriately distribute / triage phone calls to other areas and / or clinical providers
• Accurately enters phone messages, that may require the use of medical and/or dental terminology, for nurses and providers.
• Completes pre-operative forms accurately and timely.
• Verbal and written communication is clear, concise, and appropriate.
• Follows all rules regarding giving medical advice, clinical responses, and identifying emergent symptoms/diagnoses.
• Participates in utilizing updated EHR workflows and data collection processes for program initiatives.
• Participates in staff development to maintain skills.
• Independently uses problem solving skills to resolve issues related to the completion of duties.
• Primary trainer for all new support employees in the dental department at all clinic sites.
• Work with patients to clearly explain treatment options recommended by the dentists and relays related costs
• Acts as a liaison between the dentist, the patient, and billing, and assists in coordinating treatment plans
• Negotiates financial arrangements with patients using sliding fee and good faith estimates. Determines dental benefits and eligibility, limitations, and payment estimates necessary to facilitate financial arrangements
• Maintains patient’s referral records following all referral processes and organizational policies and procedures, and ensures referrals are completed in a timely manner.
• Requests patients’ consult report from referring provider offices and/or hospitals, vendors, other medical facilities as requested.
• Reviews incoming referrals for relevance and attaches the referral to the correct patient’s chart and assigns the referral to the proper healthcare professional for review.
• Receives messages from providers, nurses, and clinical team members when a prior auth is needed and works through the prior auth process with insurance companies in a timely manner.
• Contacts insurance companies to verify patient’s insurance eligibility, benefits, and requirements.
• Obtains, tracks, and follows up on pending authorizations and documents status, auth numbers, and prior auth details accordingly in the EHR.
• Communicates closely with the clinical team, providers, and the patient with prior auth approvals, denials, next steps, and scheduled appointments. Works closely with providers and clinical teams on denials and submits additional information and documentation necessary for approval.
• Provides assistance and back-up to front office when needed:
• • Responsible for welcoming patients upon arrival, promoting the usage of new and emerging consumer-friendly technologies, educating patients on their copayments and financial obligations and collecting payments when applicable, scheduling subsequent appointments within the continuum of care, connecting patients to financial advocacy resources when appropriate, updating patient's demographics and insurance coverage information, and promoting an overall culture of service excellence
  • Acts as receptionist for patients and visitors and serves as central contact person for telephone calls and distribution point for communication
  • Assist with administrative duties in the office including but not limited to scanning of medical records and faxing
  • Check-in patient at desk depending on patient preference
  • Schedule or connect patient to resources to schedule for ancillary services at checkout
  • Promote patient portal and assist patients in registration when applicable
  • Collect copayments and any other applicable patient payments at the point of service
  • Confirm and/or update patient registration information and follow-up appointments at checkout
  • Assists with clearing the message box when necessary.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• High School Diploma or equivalent required
• Clerical certificate or degree is preferred
• Dental insurance verification and referral process experience preferred
• Must posses excellent professionalism, interpersonal skills, customer service skills, written and oral communication skills, listening skills, and organizational skills
• Experience in a dental office setting and dental office tasks preferred
• Experience with eClinicalWorks (EHR) preferred
• Knowledge of dental terminology preferred

This position is responsible for welcoming patients upon arrival, promoting the usage of new and emerging consumer-friendly technologies, educating patients on their copayments and financial obligations and collecting payments when applicable, scheduling subsequent appointments within the continuum of care, connecting patients to financial advocacy resources when appropriate, updating patient's demographics and insurance coverage information, insurance verification, prior authorizations, referral coordination, and promoting an overall culture of service excellence. This position should display strong customer service skills that ensure that patients and family members have the desired experience.

This position is the primary trainer for new employees on dental back-end office operations.