Admitting Supervisor

GENERAL PURPOSE : Under the direction of the Admitting Manager and/or PFS Director, the Admitting Supervisor oversees the daily operations of the hospital’s admitting and patient access functions in the absence of the Manager. This position is responsible for ensuring the accurate, efficient, and courteous registration of patients receiving inpatient, outpatient, and procedural services.

The Admitting Supervisor serves as a resource, mentor, and leader to Admitting staff, providing guidance and support to ensure compliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, payer guidelines, and established departmental procedures. The Supervisor assists with resolving complex registration and patient access issues and promotes consistent, high-quality service.

As a mid-level leadership position, the Admitting Supervisor plays an important role in supporting a positive patient experience and the hospital’s revenue cycle by maintaining accurate and timely patient registrations, insurance information, authorizations, and other required documentation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Admitting Supervisor is expected to provide exceptional customer service to all patients, family members, visitors and vendors who come to the hospital to visit or to conduct business. Admitting Supervisor is a role model to staff exhibiting core value behavior as Admitting staff are the first people seen when coming into the hospital and set the example for what patients and others will experience while being treated.

This position registers patients, verifies patients’ insurance coverage, obtaining insurance pre-authorization when necessary, or on patients coming in when we are not notified in advance of registration for certain types of services not considered emergency services. The Admitting Supervisor should always communicate to the Admitting Manager and Director Patient Financial Services when insurances change that can affect the business office receiving payments and remits timely.

Admitting Supervisor is expected to follow EMTALA laws when working in the ER; they should be aware of their role in ensuring patients coming in to be treated are stabilized and treated regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. The position works collaboratively with clinical departments, Revenue Cycle, Finance, Health Information Management, and other areas to resolve registration and patient access issues and support the organization's operational and financial goals.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assists Admitting Manager to ensure all department policies/procedures are being followed. Assists Admitting Manager with educating admitting staff of any changes pertaining to their role. Assists with the daily department operations including shift coverage, training, technical support mentoring and feedback of staff productivity.

Supports department and hospital revenue goals in a manner that will enhance the successful operation of BCH and create a positive image to the public. Assist in identifying and implementing strategies to improve processes, promote operational efficiency, enhance the patient experience and meet compliance guidelines. Acts in a professional manner striving to create unity and cohesiveness with staff, avoiding gossip and defusing negative situations.

Engages in patient registration to provide guidance and leadership acting as a role model for how staff should be performing their role. Assists with implementation and/or accountability of staff responsibilities to ensure a smooth and accurate workflow during registration process. Monitoring staff registrations and offering help with demographic, financial data gathering and processing that help result in proper reimbursement of hospital services.

Reviewing and making recommendations for re-training in staff deficiencies. Identifies trends and issues that can be used for re-training. Educates staff on errors and impact to the creation of a clean claim. Assists staff and patients in understanding out of pockets costs associated with services. Assists with feedback of Admitting Reps to support accountability and productively the Admitting Department.

Maintains confidentiality of feedback. Assist the Insurance Verifier when absent/out of the office so insurance verifications and NOA’s are completed timely, benefits and eligibility are current. Assist the Admitting Manager with developing and maintaining staff schedules and new-hire training schedules. Monitor staffing levels and departmental coverage, proactively identify scheduling needs or gaps, and assist with coordinating coverage to ensure continuity of operations.

The position is expected to provide supervisory coverage and may work evenings, weekends, and holidays as operational needs require. Assist with monitoring staff work hours keeping overtime hours to a minimum. Responsible for answering incoming calls, transferring calls to the appropriate locations, assisting with placement of outgoing calls, contacting individuals by operating the overhead paging system and contacting individuals and agencies in case of an emergency.

Responsible for handling patient inquiries and for directing and providing general information to visitors and the public. Ensure ALL visitors sign into Visitors log and are provided with badge to denote they are a “visitor”. Logs all patients coming in for labs, radiology and surgery in the “Outpatient Registration” book.

Check census on the system as required. Locate and direct visitors and family to admitted patients. Reconcile the Admitting/ER Cash Box daily in morning and evening. Process meal ticket requests for employees, take and reconcile cafeteria monies collected from Cafeteria Manager daily, submit to Financial Counselor for deposit daily.

Registers patients; obtains and verifies all patient demographic information and payment source data, then inputs into computer system. Collect patient payments, issues receipts, reconcile and submit patient payments collected day of or previous day to be submitted to Financial Counselor for deposit. Obtains ALL required signatures on consents and registration forms.

Scans into patient’s chart. Identifies patient insurance coverage of primary and/or secondary insurance. Scans both the front and backs of insurances so they are legible. Verifies insurance coverage benefits including gaps in coverage, deductible, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket maximum amounts to estimate the out-of-pocket potentially owed by the patient for services.

Scans insurance verifications into patient chart for review by billing department. Reports beneficiary coverage issues with patient insurance(s) to Admitting or DPFS to avoid payment issues. Obtains pre-authorizations when required by insurers for payments. Documents in patients chart the authorization details including expiration and services authorized for.

Performs ABN’s as needed to verify covered services vs non covered services. Advises patient when ABN fails so patient is aware of possible out of pocket costs. This will determine if all or a portion of services will be performed. Obtains signed Medicaid and/or Medicare form from patient. Identifies payer web sites or other methods to verify coverage benefits.

Call appropriate departments when patients are done with registration process to be escorted to designated areas for services. Follows EMTALA laws when patients present in the ER with needs. Ensures every patient coming into the ER is stabilized and treated regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. Procures patient valuables, documents, locks up in safe and handles per department policy.

Observes all infection control policies. Must be able to stamp and distribute mail if needed. Keeps supplies ready by inventorying stock; placing orders; verifying receipt. Answers telephones for hospital and doctors’ answering service after hours as needed, take messages, locate the doctor and follow through with any instructions.

Contacts appropriate departments when medical transportation services companies arrive to transfer a patient. Supports BCH Departments as need with special projects as given by the Manager or Director. Maintain records and log book for Pet visitors in the “Pink Pet Book”. Track, log, and maintain shot records for pets brought into facility to visit patients.

File complaints and grievances for patients when necessary. Provide resource information when applicable for drug, abuse and neglect abuse hotlines or interpreter services. Abides by all regulations, policies, work procedures, instructions, and safety rules. SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED : Is proficient with hospital information system, especially subsystems related to admitting.

Is able to work effectively and courteously with staff, physicians, medical office staff, patients and the public. Is able to work independently, requiring minimal supervision; exercising good judgment. Is able to communicate effectively with co-workers on all levels, verbally and in writing. Requires interpersonal skills necessary to communicate effectively with patients, patient families, referring parties.

Knowledge of local and national provider insurances including but not limited to Sierra, Healthcare Partners, Hospital Coalition (HSPC), Medicare, Medicaid, BCBS, UHC, Aetna. Understanding of PPO and HMO insurance plans. Knowledge of insurance verification process, benefits, obtain patient eligibility by phone or insurance website.

Knowledge of insurance benefits and coverage of medical benefit plan to patients (co-pay, co-insurance, deductibles, lifetime benefit, out-of-pocket maximum, CPT codes and Diagnosis codes. Must have understanding of EMTALA Federal Law, regulations and guidelines for patients requiring services in the ER.