TEMPORARY Insurance Authorization Specialist in San Francisco, California at Wayward Medical Management Inc

POSITION SUMMARY
The Insurance Verification Specialist supports the practice’s revenue cycle by confirming patient insurance eligibility and benefits before scheduled appointments and surgical procedures. This back-office, clerical position verifies coverage details through payer portals, clearinghouse systems, and phone contact with insurance carriers, and accurately documents findings for use by the billing and scheduling teams. Errors or delays in this role can directly affect claim payment, scheduling, and patient financial experience, so accuracy and timeliness are essential. The role has limited independent decision-making authority and escalates coverage or authorization issues to the Revenue Cycle Manager or Practice Administrator.
This position is a temporary position that is expected to last for 30-60 days.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Verifies patient insurance eligibility and benefits for upcoming appointments and scheduled surgical procedures using payer portals, clearinghouse systems, and phone verification.
• Confirms coverage details such as effective dates, plan type, deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums, and enters this information accurately into the practice management system.
• Identifies plans requiring referrals, prior authorizations, or additional documentation and flags these accounts to the appropriate team for follow-up.
• Contacts insurance carriers by phone or online portal to confirm active coverage and resolve discrepancies in eligibility or benefit information.
• Reviews scheduled appointments and surgical cases in advance to confirm insurance verification is complete before the date of service.
• Updates patient demographic and insurance information in the practice management and billing systems.
• Documents verification results, payer contact information, and coverage issues clearly and consistently for use by the billing and scheduling teams.
• Communicates verification status, coverage gaps, or missing information to scheduling and revenue cycle staff in a timely manner.
• Maintains organized records of verification activity and supporting documentation for billing and audit purposes.
• Performs general clerical duties supporting the revenue cycle department, such as data entry, filing, and processing correspondence.
• Maintains regular and reliable attendance sufficient to meet the position’s operational, patient-service, and team obligations, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Complies with applicable laws, regulations, accreditation requirements, privacy and security standards, and organizational policies relevant to the position.
• Other duties as assigned.
The essential functions listed are intended to describe the fundamental duties of the position. A qualified individual must be able to perform these functions with or without reasonable accommodation. The organization will engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process when an accommodation is requested or the need for accommodation is known.
MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience: One year of experience in medical insurance verification, medical billing, revenue cycle, or a related back-office healthcare administrative role preferred; candidates with strong clerical and administrative skills will also be considered.
• Licensure/Certification: None required.
• Knowledge/Skills: Working knowledge of health insurance terminology, including deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and authorizations; proficiency with practice management or EHR systems, payer portals, and clearinghouse tools; strong attention to detail and data entry accuracy; clear communication with payers, scheduling staff, and the billing team; ability to manage a high volume of accounts within established timelines.
• Other: Must be able to pass a background check as required for employment in a healthcare setting.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Experience verifying insurance for a surgical or specialty practice; basic familiarity with CPT and ICD-10 coding; bilingual language skills.