Career Center

Department: Student Health Insurance Offc
Salary/Grade: NEX/12

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Student Health Insurance Office Program Manager, the Insurance & Patient Support Representative provides customer service and administrative support related to health insurance issues and updates student health insurance records. The Insurance & Patient Support Representative disseminates information to students—individually and in group settings—regarding Northwestern insurance requirements, relevant deadlines, and procedures to confirm or waive annual enrollment in the Northwestern Student Health Insurance Program (NU-SHIP). The Insurance & Patient Support Representative responds to inquiries regarding eligibility, accessing healthcare services, and providing guidance to students who are experiencing financial hardship related to healthcare services.

Specific Responsibilities:

Student Support:

• Answer calls to the main phone line and in-person visitors. Triage issues.            
• Read and respond to incoming questions in the student health insurance email inbox.           
• Assist students with the annual online enrollment and waiver process.                  
• Answer basic questions related to plan benefits, claims, and other related matters.
• Coordinate with insurance carrier representatives to help resolve enrollment or claim issues.
• Provides patient support services by assisting, counseling, and educating students to become more effective and knowledgeable users of healthcare services.
• Resolves inquiries on student eligibility and access to healthcare services.
• Responds to concerns about medical billing, health insurance coverage, and patient satisfaction with services.
• Provides guidance on issues of financial hardship for students experiencing difficulty paying for healthcare services.               

IT/Campus Systems:

• Process insurance enrollment and cancellations in Student Enterprise System/CAESAR.      
• Assist in determining student eligibility for insurance.                        
• Maintain and update student insurance records in relevant NU computer systems (i.e., SES/CAESAR) as well as the external insurance administrator’s system; ensure consistency of records across systems.                   

Billing:

• Assist with resolving billing concerns and student account questions.                   

Programmatic Support:

• Help prepare materials for open enrollment and marketing periods.               
• Assist with Visiting Scholar Health Plan, including enrollment, claims, and billing coordination and tracking.                       
• Assist with general office responsibilities.                           

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 2 years of progressively responsible patient support experience for an outpatient primary care medical practice that includes coordinating processes with patient accounts, health insurance, and various other issues associated with patient care.
• High school diploma with at least 2 years of relevant college coursework in a healthcare-related academic program.
• Accurate computer keyboarding skills of at least 30 wpm.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Customer focus. Regularly monitor customer satisfaction; provide suggestions to improve quality and value to the customer.
• Demonstrated cross-cultural competence. Interact effectively and courteously with diverse constituencies in person, by phone, and via email, by determining the needs of students from multicultural backgrounds and adapting communications appropriately.
• Good judgment. Demonstrate logic, rationality, and objectivity; show common sense; use all available information to make educated decisions. Maintain confidentiality.
• Oral and written communication skills. Communicate effectively by phone, email, and in person (one-to-one and in small groups) with students, staff, and others having business with the NU Student Health Insurance Office. Write precise, well-organized emails, letters and proposals while using appropriate vocabulary and grammar.
• Efficiency. Effectively perform duties and responsibilities; demonstrate attention to detail; maintain accurate and detailed records; support organizational policies; anticipate demands and pressures of assignments and adjust accordingly.
• Ability to work independently. Manage workflow despite possible frequent interruptions while contributing to a positive team environment.
• Ability to maintain a good working relationship with staff, students, and parents
• Computer literacy skills. Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams). Basic data entry skills. Moderate typing and keyboard skills, ability to use various office equipment (e.g., computer workstation, copier, fax, calculator)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree in a related/relevant field, (e.g., health administration, college student personnel, etc.) or appropriate combination of education and experience.
• Insurance, claims processing, and strong customer service skills.
• Computer skills, or experience with databases, related to health insurance.
• The above qualifications plus significant experience with providing patient support in an outpatient healthcare organization.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.
  

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About Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a major private research university with 12 academic divisions located on three campuses in Evanston, Chicago, and Education City in Doha, Qatar. We have approximately 2,500 full-time faculty members, 17,000 graduate and undergraduate students, and over 5,700 full and part-time staff. Northwestern University combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment. It provides students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal and professional growth.

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