Jesica Bickerstaff
Hazel Green,AL
Summary
Adept at enhancing billing efficiency and reducing errors, I leveraged my expertise in CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10 coding at Rheumatology Associates of NA to significantly improve revenue cycle management. My collaborative skills and meticulous attention to HIPAA compliance fostered strong relationships with insurance providers, contributing to a notable reduction in payment discrepancies.
Medical billing professional with deep expertise in managing patient billing and insurance claims. Strong background in coding, account reconciliation, and compliance with healthcare regulations. Known for collaborating effectively with teams and adapting to changing needs to achieve optimal results. Reliable and detail-focused, ensuring accurate and timely processing of financial information.
Reliable and competent Medical Billing professional with exceptional data entry and customer service skills.
Organized Medical Biller skilled at accurately auditing patient charts and billing corresponding parties.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Coding/Medical Billing Specialist/Internal Auditor
Rheumatology Associates of NA
06.2018 - Current
- Communicated with insurance providers to resolve denied claims and resubmitted.
- Posted and adjusted payments from insurance companies.
- Communicated effectively and extensively with other departments to resolve claims issues.
- Assisted patients with understanding their medical bills and provided clarification on complex insurance issues, promoting a positive customer experience.
- Located errors and promptly refiled rejected claims.
- Identified and resolved patient billing and payment issues.
- Examined patients' insurance coverage, deductibles, insurance carrier payments and remaining balances not covered under policies when applicable.
- Ensured timely submission of claims to various insurance carriers, resulting in prompt payment for services rendered.
- Maintained strong working relationships with healthcare providers, fostering clear communication regarding billing-related matters.
- Managed patient accounts effectively, resolving discrepancies and addressing outstanding balances in a timely manner.
- Enhanced revenue collection through diligent follow-up on unpaid claims and denials with insurance companies.
- Analyzed complex Explanation of Benefits forms to verify correct billing of insurance carriers.
- Researched CPT and ICD-10 coding discrepancies for compliance and reimbursement accuracy.
- Collected payments and applied to patient accounts.
- Precisely completed appropriate claims paperwork, documentation and system entry.
- Precisely evaluated and verified benefits and eligibility.
- Provided exceptional customer service to both patients and insurance representatives, resolving inquiries quickly and professionally.
- Filed and updated patient information and medical records.
- Coordinated with other departments to address any discrepancies or concerns related to charge capture or data entry accuracy.
- Liaised between patients, insurance companies, and billing office.
- Served as a subject matter expert on medical billing matters, providing guidance to colleagues on complex cases or unique situations.
- Streamlined billing processes by implementing efficient workflows and utilizing advanced software tools.
- Efficiently processed refunds or adjustments for patients when necessary, ensuring accuracy and compliance with company policies.
- Participated in departmental meetings, sharing insights and ideas for improving overall medical billing efficiency and revenue generation.
- Monitored changes in payer requirements, adjusting billing practices accordingly to minimize disruptions in the revenue cycle.
- Conducted regular audits of patient accounts for potential underpayments or overpayments due to incorrect coding or billing practices.
- Prepared billing correspondence and maintained database to organize billing information.
- Printed and reviewed monthly patient aging report and solicited overdue payments.
- Used accounting software to issue tax returns and prepare consolidated reports.
- Compiled general ledger entries on short schedule with 100% accuracy.
- Maintained integrity of general ledger and chart of accounts.
- Initiated comprehensive account assessments to check viability, stability, and profitability of business operations.
- Reviewed accounts, resolved coding areas, and tracked recurring expenses for accrual entry.
- Diminished outstanding debts by analyzing accounts for issues.
- Developed financial models to assess and analyze financial performance of clients.
- Provided journal entries and performed accounting on accrual basis.
- Trained new employees on accounting principles and company procedures.
- Tracked funds, prepared deposits and reconciled accounts.
- Prepared working papers, reports and supporting documentation for audit findings.
- Bolstered organizational integrity, conducting ethics and compliance audits.
- Enhanced financial reporting accuracy, performing detailed financial statement analyses and reconciliations.
- Supported strategic decision-making by providing senior management with actionable insights from audit findings.
- Promoted best practices in data management and privacy by auditing information systems for security vulnerabilities.
- Enhanced stakeholder confidence with preparation of clear and detailed audit reports.
- Increased awareness of risk management principles, organizing workshops for department heads and management.
- Reduced risk of fraud with thorough investigations into irregular financial transactions.
- Elevated team performance by leading training sessions on best audit practices and regulatory compliance.
- Improved operational effectiveness, analyzing and recommending optimizations for supply chain processes.
- Facilitated knowledge sharing, creating comprehensive internal audit manual for ongoing reference.
- Strengthened stakeholder relations by presenting audit findings in clear, constructive, and professional manner.
- Improved compliance with regulatory standards through meticulous internal policy reviews and updates.
- Achieved significant cost savings by identifying inefficiencies in operational procedures and recommending improvements.
- Enhanced business continuity planning, evaluating and testing disaster recovery procedures.
- Ensured adherence to international audit standards by keeping abreast of changes and implementing necessary updates in audit procedures.
- Mitigated potential financial losses, closely monitoring and auditing high-risk areas of business.
- Reviewed financial statements for adherence to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and corporate regulations.
- Fostered culture of transparency and accountability, conducting regular meetings to discuss audit findings and corrective actions.
- Optimized resource allocation, conducting cost-benefit analyses of proposed business initiatives.
- Streamlined audit processes, implementing new software tools to increase efficiency and accuracy.
- Strengthened internal control systems by conducting comprehensive risk assessments and audits.
- Guided departments in developing remediation plans based on audit findings and recommendations.
- Evaluated company's policies to determine how well standards adhered to best practices.
- Developed strong working relationships with external auditors, facilitating efficient communication during annual audits.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and emerging risks, ensuring relevance in audit approach and methodology.
- Participated in special projects as requested by senior leadership, providing subject matter expertise on internal controls and risk management practices.
- Reviewed and identified risks, analyzed controls and tested compliance.
- Conducted training sessions for staff members on best practices in internal auditing, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Prepared audit programs and documentation in alignment with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).
- Evaluated compliance with regulatory requirements, mitigating potential risks and protecting organizational reputation.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design and execute comprehensive audit plans, ensuring alignment with company objectives.
- Assisted in the development of company policies and procedures, promoting a strong internal control environment.
- Produced audit reports.
- Investigated discrepancies discovered during auditing process.
- Supported management in developing action plans to address identified issues, promoting timely resolution of audit findings.
- Prepared and distributed risk and audit reports to appropriate personnel.
- Documented recommendations to improve internal controls.
- Enhanced internal control systems by conducting thorough risk assessments and implementing effective audit recommendations.
- Explained risk and compliance concepts to managers and executives.
- Provided valuable insights to management by presenting clear and concise audit findings, contributing to informed decision-making processes.
- Improved operational efficiency by identifying and addressing financial discrepancies through meticulous examination of financial records.
- Reduced errors in medical billing by meticulously reviewing patient records and ensuring accurate coding.
- Contributed to overall office organization by maintaining up-to-date records of all billed services and payments received.
- Evaluated patients' financial status and established appropriate payment plans.
- Continuously updated knowledge of industry regulations and compliance requirements, ensuring adherence to all applicable standards.
- Communicated with patients for unpaid claims for HMO, PPO and private accounts and delivered friendly follow-up calls for proper payments to contracts.
- Collaborated closely with the clinical team to ensure proper documentation was obtained for accurate billing purposes.
- Increased overall efficiency of the billing department by regularly auditing internal procedures and suggesting improvements.
- Educated colleagues on best practices in medical billing, providing ongoing training sessions as needed.
- Developed customized reports for management review, highlighting trends in key performance metrics such as claim denial rates and days outstanding for accounts receivable balances.
- Verified insurance of patients to determine eligibility.
- Accurately entered patient demographic and billing information in billing system to enable tracking history and maintain accurate records.
- Posted payments and collections on regular basis.
- Reviewed patient records, identified medical codes, and created invoices for billing purposes.
- Prepared billing statements for patients and verified correct diagnostic coding.
- Delivered timely and accurate charge submissions.
- Adhered to established standards to safeguard patients' health information.
- Reviewed patient diagnosis codes to verify accuracy and completeness.
- Responded to customer concerns and questions on daily basis.
- Collaborated with customers to resolve disputes.
- Utilized various software programs to process customer payments.
- Used data entry skills to accurately document and input statements.
- Produced and mailed monthly statements to customers and assisted with related requests for information and clarification.
- Audited and corrected billing and posting documents for accuracy.
- Maintained accurate records of customer payments.
- Processed payment via telephone and in person with focus on accuracy and efficiency.
- Generated monthly billing and posting reports for management review.
- Handled account payments and provided information regarding outstanding balances.
- Monitored outstanding invoices and performed collections duties.
- Created improved filing system to maintain secure client data.
- Verified accuracy of accounts payable payments, resulting in [Number]% reduction in payment errors and check reissues.
- Encoded and canceled checks using bank machines.
- Kept vendor files accurate and up-to-date to expedite payment processing.
- Identified and reported audit issues.
- Contributed to a positive work environment by collaborating effectively with colleagues across all levels of the organization.
- Assisted in the preparation of audit reports that clearly communicated findings and recommendations to key stakeholders.
- Performed internal audits of financial and departmental operations, developing risk assessments and conducting process walkthroughs for compliance with documented processes.
Education
High School Diploma -
Buckhorn High School
New Market05-2014
No Degree - Coding And Billing
Calhoun Community College
Huntsville, AL06-2018
No Degree - Coding And Billing
AAPC
12-2018
No Degree - Auditing
AAPC
02-2020
Skills
- HIPAA compliance
- Payment posting and Collections
- Claim submission
- Insurance verification
- CPT, HCPCS, ICD-10 knowledge
- Denial management
- Medicare and medicaid process
- Medical coding expertise
- Accounts payable and Bill Payment
- Files and records management
- Quality-oriented team player
- Records maintenance
- Insurance and Patient Medical Coding and Billing
- Medical transcription
- Reimbursements
- Data entry
- Submission of medical claims
- Chart auditing
- Account follow-up
- Payer contracts
- Administrative support
- Microsoft office
- Payment processing
Accomplishments
- Resolved product issue through consumer testing.
- Supervised team of 10 staff members.
- Documented and resolved claim denials which led to payment.
- Achieved bulk payments by completing insurance followups with accuracy and efficiency.
Certification
- CPC
- CPB
- CPMA
Languages
English
Full Professional
Timeline
Coding/Medical Billing Specialist/Internal Auditor
Rheumatology Associates of NA
06.2018 - Current
- CPC
- CPB
- CPMA
High School Diploma -
Buckhorn High School
No Degree - Coding And Billing
Calhoun Community College
No Degree - Coding And Billing
AAPC
No Degree - Auditing
AAPC
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