[Hiring] Participant Access Associate @Habitat Health

Role Description

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. 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.

• 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 deliver 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.
• Works 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.

Requirements

• Compensation is based on qualifications, skillset, and experience.
• 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.

Benefits

• Health insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Participation in the company’s equity program.
• Paid time off, including vacation and sick leave.