Shakera Latimer
Towson
Summary
Dynamic Insurance Verification Specialist with extensive experience at Kennedy Krieger Institute, excelling in patient communication and insurance verification. Proven track record in securing authorizations and enhancing financial accuracy, leveraging strong time management and claims processing skills to streamline operations and improve patient outcomes. Committed to maintaining HIPAA compliance and delivering exceptional customer service.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Insurance Verification Specialist
Kennedy Krieger Institute
06.2023 - 07.2024
- Verified patient insurance for outpatient speech, occupational, and physical therapy services.
- Assisted patients and families in obtaining necessary authorizations, referrals, or pre-certifications.
- Documented patient health insurance or payment source and estimated self-pay portions.
- Facilitated clinics in collecting patient copays, co-insurance, and deductible payments.
Multisite Scheduling Coordinator
ATI Physical Therapy
12.2021 - 06.2023
- Managed inbound and outbound communication for multiple clinics via phone, email, e-referral, and fax for patient intake.
- Obtained necessary documents to ensure accurate patient registration for initial evaluations and ongoing requests.
- Met scheduling expectations across all support clinics while facilitating timely referral conversions.
- Assisted clinics in collecting patient copays, co-insurance, and deductibles to maintain financial accuracy.
Referral Specialist
HealthCare for the Homeless
11.2019 - 12.2020
- Processed client referrals for specialty providers, imaging offices, and dental services.
- Verified client healthcare eligibility via EVS and commercial medical insurance websites.
- Updated client demographics and insurance information in Centricity database.
- Facilitated documentation transmission to specialist offices via fax or email for healthcare visits.
Patient Financial Clearance Specialist II
Medstar INC
09.2018 - 10.2019
- Verify patient’s health insurance for outpatient and inpatient surgery visits
- Obtain authorizations when required for hospital services
- Update demographic and health insurance information in the IDX/INVISION System
- Review OR posting sheets to verify CPT/DX codes, DOS and times are correct for patient’s services
Collections Representative II
Children’s National Medical Center
04.2016 - 08.2017
- Review EOB’S with financially responsible party, explain the remaining balance and their obligation
- Analyze customer accounts to determine whether it is considered delinquent
- Review insurance payments or denials of claims on carrier website
- Verify patient insurance was active at time of service through carrier web access
- Secure payments of outstanding accounts
Reimbursement Specialist
Maxim Healthcare Inc.
07.2014 - 04.2016
- Notifies the branch staff of problems related to billing
- Maintains timely billing and re-submissions of Claims on HCFA’s and UB’s
- Keeps track of reports pertaining to billing; profit summary
- Updates and maintains documentation for claims/invoice submission to secure payment.
- Attaches documents required to claims to secure cash collections
Offices Services Clerk
State of Maryland DHMH
08.2013 - 06.2014
- Responsible for receiving, reviewing and auditing referrals from various state agencies
- Print and review eligibility for head of household’s insurance resource from display screens for each referral
- Maintain daily and monthly statistical reports for Medicaid and MCO recipient’s
- Supports Recovery Officers by pulling and filing all insurance correspondence for MA recipient’s
- Perform clerical and other special tasks as required to meet the unit’s goals and objective
- Assist in answering telephone inquiries regarding insurance coverage
Front Desk Specialist
Total Health Care Inc
04.2007 - 04.2012
- Scheduled client appointments for outreach services and counseling sessions.
- Reconciled medical and counseling encounters for finance department.
- Verified patient medical assistance eligibility using Maryland EVS system.
- Referred and scheduled new intake appointments for substance abuse counseling.
Core Service Specialist III
Johns Hopkins University
11.2005 - 03.2007
- Use of ICD 9 and CPT codes to obtain authorizations for outpatient clinical visits
- Contact patients to obtain personal and insurance demographic information for scheduled clinic visits
- Collection of referrals from specialty clinics to secure authorizations for insurances requiring this
- Verify patient eligibility thru Care First direct, EVS, HDX and other automated insurance systems
- Fax financial work up to financial counseling for collection of monies on all self-pay patients
Education
GED -
South Shore High School
Brooklyn, NY05-1995
Skills
- Insurance verification
- Customer service
- Time management
- Medicaid
- Electronic medical records
- Financial counseling
- Patient communication
- HIPAA compliance
- Medical terminology
- Follow-up procedures
- Referral coordination
- Authorization management
- Patient registration
- Claims processing
- CPT coding
- Healthcare compliance
Timeline
Insurance Verification Specialist
Kennedy Krieger Institute
06.2023 - 07.2024
Multisite Scheduling Coordinator
ATI Physical Therapy
12.2021 - 06.2023
Referral Specialist
HealthCare for the Homeless
11.2019 - 12.2020
Patient Financial Clearance Specialist II
Medstar INC
09.2018 - 10.2019
Collections Representative II
Children’s National Medical Center
04.2016 - 08.2017
Reimbursement Specialist
Maxim Healthcare Inc.
07.2014 - 04.2016
Offices Services Clerk
State of Maryland DHMH
08.2013 - 06.2014
Front Desk Specialist
Total Health Care Inc
04.2007 - 04.2012
Core Service Specialist III
Johns Hopkins University
11.2005 - 03.2007
GED -
South Shore High School
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