Participant (Patient) Access Associate

Role Scope: 

The Participant Access Associate is part of Habitat Health’s centralized, shared authorizations team within VBC Operations, supporting the scheduling stage of the referral process. In addition to the full range of appointment scheduling and visit logistics, this non-clinical role specializes in scheduling harder-to-place referrals, triages incoming phone and voicemail communications, and serves as a go-to resource for the team. 

The role’s core accountability will include: 

• Schedules appointments for all participants, including harder-to-place, out-of-network, and single case agreement placements, within strict regulatory timeframes, and escalates any risk to timeliness. 

• Triages incoming phone and voicemail communications from participants, caregivers, providers, and care teams, resolving what is routine and escalating items that cannot be resolved. 

• Manages day-of and pre-visit logistics, including confirmation and reminder calls, rescheduling no-shows, and deferring appointments that are not yet ready to schedule. 

• Prepares and distributes visit documentation, including required records to specialists and schedules to providers who delivery care on-site. 

• Coordinates with the Medical Records team to confirm visit records are returned and filed in the participant chart. 

• Keeps appointment status accurate in the system of record and completes handoffs to the Authorizations Coordinator. 

• Serves as a resource and escalation point for Patient Access Associates and helps train and onboard new team members. 

• Protects the confidentiality of participant information in accordance with HIPAA regulations and company policy. 
• Work with other departments on cross functional tasks and projects as needed 

  Qualifications:  

  • High school diploma or GED required; 2+ years of experience in healthcare scheduling, referral coordination, patient access, or a healthcare call center required. 
  • Associate’s degree preferred; Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) or similar certification is a plus; or an equivalent combination of education and experience 
  • Experience scheduling specialty or hard-to-place appointments, including out-of-network providers, strongly preferred 
  • Working knowledge of medical terminology and health insurance (Medicare/Medicaid) 
  • Experience with electronic health records (e.g., Epic) and scheduling tools; proficiency in Microsoft Office 
  • Strong problem-solving, prioritization, and phone communication skills, including handling high call volume 
  • Bilingual skills (e.g., Spanish) preferred 
  • Ability to adapt to changes and learn new systems quickly 
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
  • A strong passion for our mission, with a high degree of empathy for the populations we serve. 

  Compensation:  

  We consider an individual’s qualifications, skillset, and experience in determining final salary. This role is eligible for health insurance, life insurance, participation in the company’s equity program, and paid time off, including vacation and sick leave. The expected salary range for this position is $20.00 to $33.00 per hour and is bonus eligible. The actual offer will be at the company’s sole discretion and determined by relevant business considerations, including the final candidate’s qualifications, years of experience, skillset, and geographic location. 

  Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 

  Habitat Health is an Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Habitat Health applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member), or other status protected by applicable law. 

  Habitat Health is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Habitat Health will take steps to provide people with disabilities and sincerely held religious beliefs with reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable law.  Accordingly, if you require a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in the job application or interview process