Patient Access Specialist

Northwestern Medicine

. Practice the Patients First philosophy and maintain high customer service standards .

Posted 9/21/2026full-timeRemote • Illinois • United StatesJuniorMid-Level💰 $18 - $28 per hourWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong customer service skills while managing patient scheduling, registration, and insurance verification in a healthcare setting. Proficient in maintaining patient confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA regulations, while effectively communicating with patients and collaborating with healthcare teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Customer Service OrientationPatient Scheduling ExperienceHIPAA ComplianceHealthcare Insurance KnowledgeData Entry Proficiency

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Data EntryPatient RegistrationInsurance VerificationMedical Necessity ChecksQuality AssuranceAnalytical SkillsProblem SolvingTyping 40 WPMMulti-taskingProcess Improvement

Soft Skills

Excellent Communication SkillsInterpersonal SkillsOrganizational SkillsTime Management

Tools & Technologies

Epic Systems

Industry Keywords

Healthcare FinancePatient ConfidentialityService RecoveryQuality ImprovementDemographic Information Collection

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Practice the Patients First philosophy and maintain high customer service standards
Respond to patient questions and concerns and escalate extraordinary issues
Maintain patient confidentiality under HIPAA regulations
Identify and collect patient demographic information
Schedule and direct patients through Northwestern Medicine systems
Contact patients to schedule appointments
Perform medical necessity checks and communicate options when appointments fail
Inform patients about financial-account issues and provide out-of-pocket estimations
Provide training and education as needed
Manage schedules and complete assignments on time
Cross-train across departments to ensure coverage
Participate in quality assurance reviews and quality improvement activities
Resolve service breakdowns using service recovery skills
Communicate physician referral, insurance referral, consultation, and authorization information
Collaborate with hospital departments, physician offices, and internal customers
Retrieve orders and verify insurance eligibility and benefit levels using online systems and phone calls
Complete accurate handoff instructions and Epic notes
Run real-time eligibility checks and follow out-of-network policies
Prevent patient-visit issues by verifying tests, preparation requirements, timing, location, orders, and duplicate records
Complete and update patient registration data
Monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification against quality standards
Analyze account activity and initiate resolutions
Suggest process improvements and act as a training resource for staff

Requirements

What you’ll need

High School diploma or equivalent
2-3 years customer service or medical office experience
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
Proficiency in computer data-entry/typing
Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English
Basic Computer Skills
Ability to type 40 wpm
Ability to multi-task
Customer service oriented
Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem solving skills
Additional education preferred
Additional language skills preferred
Healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance experience preferred
Knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration preferred
Must complete a criminal-history background check if offered the position

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive benefits
Tuition reimbursement
Loan forgiveness
401(k) matching
Lifecycle benefits
Physical, emotional, and financial well-being resources
Protection for unexpected life events