Patient Access Specialist

Northwestern Medicine

. Practice the Patients First philosophy and provide exceptional customer service .

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

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in patient scheduling, registration, and insurance verification while ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations. Strong ability to provide exceptional customer service and effectively communicate with patients and healthcare teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Customer Service OrientationHIPAA CompliancePatient SchedulingInsurance VerificationData Entry Proficiency

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Patient RegistrationMedical Necessity ChecksCost EstimatesEligibility ChecksData EntryProblem ResolutionProcess ImprovementQuality AssuranceMulti-taskingAnalytical Skills

Soft Skills

Interpersonal CommunicationOrganizational SkillsTime ManagementVerbal CommunicationWritten Communication

Tools & Technologies

EpicNDASASFOnline Order Retrieval Systems

Industry Keywords

Healthcare FinanceHealthcare InsurancePatient ConfidentialityRegulatory StandardsQuality Standards

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Practice the Patients First philosophy and provide exceptional customer service
Respond to patient questions and concerns, escalating extraordinary issues to the Team Lead or Operations Coordinator
Maintain patient confidentiality under HIPAA regulations
Identify and collect accurate 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 issues securing financial accounts
Complete out-of-pocket cost estimates
Provide training and education as needed
Manage schedules and complete assignments on time
Cross-train between departments to ensure coverage
Participate in Quality Assurance reviews
Resolve service breakdowns using service recovery skills
Communicate physician referral, insurance referral, and consultation information
Collect authorization numbers in appropriate systems
Collaborate across units and departments and attend relevant meetings
Use online order retrieval systems and verify or print patient orders
Verify insurance eligibility and benefit levels using NDAS, ASF, online tools, or phone
Document accurate handoff instructions and notes in Epic
Run real-time eligibility checks and follow out-of-network policies
Send accurate Epic Messages and telephone encounters
Prevent patient-visit issues by verifying tests, preparation, schedules, locations, and duplicate records
Complete and update patient registration data
Analyze account activity and initiate problem resolutions
Suggest and implement process improvements
Monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification against quality standards
Serve as a training resource for new staff and coworkers
Perform other duties assigned by management

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
Ability to comply with HIPAA, organizational policies, and regulatory/accreditation standards
Required background check authorization for employment

Benefits

Comp & perks

Tuition reimbursement
Loan forgiveness
401(k) matching
Lifecycle benefits
Competitive benefits supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being
Background check and employment protections in accordance with applicable laws