Patient Financial Counselor

The Patient Financial Counselor at Mount Carmel Behavioral Health in Columbus, OH provides patient-facing support to help individuals understand insurance coverage and their financial responsibilities. This onsite role focuses on accurate eligibility verification, patient counseling, upfront collections, and documentation that supports timely reimbursement and account resolution.

Key Responsibilities

• Verify insurance benefits and audit admission paperwork for accuracy and completeness.
• Review and update patient demographic and insurance details within the patient accounting system.
• Counsel patients and guarantors on coverage, benefits, expected out-of-pocket costs, and available payment options.
• Collect patient balances, including deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and other amounts due.
• Complete financial assistance applications and verify income and expense documentation.
• Prepare charity care documentation, administrative adjustment requests, and payment arrangements when required.
• Maintain collection, charity, and adjustment logs, and review activity with leadership.
• Analyze account information and take appropriate action to support timely payment and reimbursement.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• 3+ years of experience in healthcare financial counseling, patient access, billing, or a related field required.
• Extensive knowledge of Commercial Insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid required.
• Strong customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to explain complex insurance and financial information to patients and families.

Additional Experience Details

Three years of collecting experience is required for this position. Five years is preferred.

Work Environment Expectations

As a patient-facing role within a behavioral health environment, the position requires compassionate, empathetic support. Emotional intelligence, patience, and the ability to assist patients through challenging situations are important to success in the role.