A customer service representative in a medical supply company performs informational and service-related duties on behalf of a medical supply company, typically at a call center or office.
In this career, your responsibilities are to answer phones, resolve client’s claims or questions related to medical care and benefits information, and direct patients to the proper resources for further assistance with their issues.
You may also make calls to clients to assess their service experience or inform them about changes in their services. Medical supply company customer service representatives are literally the voice of the brand, and they foster a strong relationship between the organization they represent and their customers.
The customer service representative job description involves offering customer support duties, which include interacting with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services, etc.
It also includes successfully managing large amounts of inbound and outbound calls, sometimes on multiple line phone systems.
Also, note that they are tasked with evaluating all documents to ensure that appropriate information has been obtained for billing purposes. Their role also involves handling complaints, referral sources, and administrative department inquires.
The job of a Medical supply company customer service representative requires them to manage all aspects of client intake; data entry, answering the phone, outbound calling, and receiving faxes; maintaining referral source information and log, and data input into IMBS.
Their duties also include communicating with insurance offices for authorization requests, as well as conducting insurance verification and eligibility for services/products.
Customer service representatives are also tasked with coordinating, collecting, and imputing all patient information and new client set-ups into a customer information system.
They are expected to also develop and maintain a working knowledge of current Medicare, Medicaid, insurance regulations, products and services offered by the organization they represent, and FDA/DOT, JCAHO, and all applicable governmental guidelines and regulations.
They are also responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction by assisting them with issues and concerns related to their health, making decisions off-hours or without supervision to ensure an uninterrupted supply of products to customers.
What is It Like Working in a Call Center of a Medical Supply Company?
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Typical Hours
The typical work hours for a Customer Care Representative are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., if a medical supply company employs them. Customer Care Representatives who work for insurance companies, hospitals, and other medical institutions that offer 24-hour customer service may work non-traditional shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
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Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Customer Service Representative Field is projected to shrink by two percent between 2018 and 2028. Experts believe this is due to the increasing automation of many customer care tasks.
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Position Trends
According to industry experts, customer care in the healthcare space is changing. Customers in every sector of the economy are eager for more personal service, as well as 24-hour convenience. This also entails that many traditional tasks handled by Customer Care Representatives, such as submitting forms and changing appointments are being automated and controlled by cloud-based patient portals to add convenience to the patient experience.
Nonetheless, offering personal service while a patient is receiving services in a clinic, hospital, or nursing home is now falling under the purview of a Customer Care Representative. Duties can include reaching out to patients to see how they’re doing and offer assistance with any potential questions or issues.
Customer Care Representatives who work for medical supply companies may see an increase in more complex customer care issues that websites and artificial intelligence (AI) cannot adequately handle, rather than more routine procedural jobs like finding provider referrals and managing information.
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Career Path
To become a medical customer service representative, you need at least a high school diploma or GED certificate and relevant experience. Some larger companies, or those with more complex services or products, such as biomedical equipment, may require you to have advanced training or an associate degree.
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Skills and Competencies
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to communicate calmly and diplomatically with customers, co-workers, and visitors
- Keen attention to detail, especially involving checking forms and documents for proper information
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
- Proficient in customer service
- Knowledge of medical insurance procedures
- Active listening and comprehension skills
- Working knowledge of office equipment such as copiers, printers, and fax machines
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Typical Duties and Responsibilities
- Answer incoming calls from customers
- Assist customers with requests for information, complaints, making appointments, and resolving issues
- Collect co-pays and deductible payments
- Maintain and update customer and referral information
- Ensure patient forms contain all necessary billing information
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Compensation
According to Payscale the median annual salary of a Health Care Customer Care Representative with
1 year experience:
- Orlando, Florida: $30,000
- Tampa, Florida: $31,000
- Jacksonville, Florida: $32,000
- Miami, Florida: $33,000
- Atlanta, Georgia: $33,000
- Chicago, Illinois: $38,000
- Houston, Texas: $34,000
- Los Angeles, California: $37,000
- New York, New York: $40,000
- Seattle, Washington: $38,000
- Overall: $34,000
5 years experience:
- Orlando, Florida: $33,000
- Tampa, Florida: $33,000
- Jacksonville, Florida: $33,000
- Miami, Florida: $35,000
- Atlanta, Georgia: $37,000
- Chicago, Illinois: $40,000
- Houston, Texas: $38,000
- Los Angeles, California: $42,000
- New York, New York: $50,000
- Seattle, Washington: $40,000
- Overall: $39,000
When hiring for the position of medical supply store customer service representative, recruiters tend to require prospective applicants to possess certain skills, knowledge, abilities, etc. to be considered for the job. This is to ensure that such candidates will be able to adequately perform the obligations set by the organization.