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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 2, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Financial Assessor Patient Accounting

Northwestern Medicine · Chicago, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 1, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a denial you overturned that most people would have written off.

What they are checking: Persistence, which is what separates a good assessor from an average one.

Tell me about a time you found a pattern across several accounts.

What they are checking: Whether they look up from the individual claim, which is where the money is.

What do you do when you are behind on your queue?

What they are checking: How they prioritize under a productivity target.

What would you do

How do you keep productivity up without your error rate rising?

What they are checking: The exact tension the posting sets out, and whether they have thought about it.

A claim needs clinical documentation that is not there. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can work with clinicians to get what they need.

How do you decide what to escalate to the lead assessor?

What they are checking: Judgment about when a problem is bigger than one account.

About the work

Walk me through how you work a denial from the moment it arrives.

What they are checking: Whether they have a real process for the core task of the job.

How do you find the root cause of a denial rather than just fixing the claim?

What they are checking: The posting asks for root cause analysis, which most billing roles never do.

What is different about following up with Medicare compared with a commercial payer?

What they are checking: Whether the payer knowledge is real, since the posting lists several.

How do you keep your written correspondence to payers compliant and still effective?

What they are checking: Whether they can write to a payer, which is much of this job.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Financial Assessor Patient Accounting reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. Responsibilities: • Consistently meet the current productivity and quality standards in timely resolution of all claim edits, reporting of candidates for bill, outbound compliant claim submission, clinical documentation requirements and any other communication required (verbal or written) regarding claims ensuring timely filing of claims and clean, complete and accurate claims. • Consistently meet or exceed productivity standards, targets, error ratios, and reporting requirements assigned by the Patient Accounting Lead Financial Assessor and Operations Coordinator. • Timely follow-up and collection of third party payer receivables. Denials and Appeals follow-up including root cause analysis to reduce/prevent future denials while working to overturn denials for payment resolution. • Compliant follow-up correspondence to third party payers regarding outstanding accounts receivables (i.e. Statements, letters, e-mails, faxes, portal mail, etc.). • Support the operations related to optimum third party accounts receivables (i.e. Managed Care, Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, Replacement plans, Workers Compensations, Corporate Accounts, Research, and Specialty AR Accounts). • Perform daily, systematic reviews of work lists to ensure all accounts already to be worked are completed. • Utilize Government, Commercial, and regulatory guidelines for collection of outstanding accounts. Recommend accounts for contractual or administrative write-off and provide appropriate justification and documentation. • Practice HIPAA privacy standards and ensure compliance with patient health information privacy practices. Provide individual contribution to the overall team effort of achieving the department accounts receivable goals. • Identify opportunities for customer, system and process improvement and submit to management. • Follow the NMHC general Policy and Procedures, the Departmental Policy and Procedures, and any Emergency Preparedness Procedures. Follow Joint Commission and outside regulatory agencies mandated rules and procedures. • Utilize assigned menus and pathways in the hospital mainframe system and report software application problems to the appropriate supervisor. • Utilize assigned menus and pathways in external software applications and report software application problems to the appropriate supervisor. • Utilize assigned computer hardware and report hardware problems to the appropriate supervisor. • Participate in the testing for assigned software applications, including verification of field integrity. • Assist the Patient Accounting Operational Coordinator and Patient Accounting Team Lead Financial Assessor with special projects and other duties as assigned, as necessary. • Attend training and seminars as assigned and approved by the Patient Accounting Operations Coordinator. Additional Responsibilities: • Demonstrate excellent customer service through oral and written communication in providing assistance/expertise to patients, authorized guarantors, and other external and internal contacts. • Demonstrate proficient use of systems and execution of processes in all areas of responsibilities. • Working knowledge of physician and facility billing and follow-up including understanding of insurance rules and regulations especially Medicare and Medicaid. Knowledge of HIPAA standards. • Ability to perform mathematical calculations. • Excellent communication skills when dealing with patients, families, public, co-workers, and professional offices. Basic knowledge of medical terminology and billing practices Required: • High School diploma • One year related work experience or college degree • Ability to perform mathematical calculations • Basic knowledge of medical terminology and billing practices • Extensive experience and knowledge of PC applications, including Microsoft Office and Excel • Learn quickly and meet continuous timelines • Exhibit behaviors consistent with principles of excellent service. Preferred: • Two or more years’ college or college degree. • Call center, telephone work experience or cash collections experience. • Knowledge of Epic Systems. • Two (2) years progressive work experience in a hospital/ physician billing or SBO environment. • Detail-oriented, good organizational skills, and ability to be self-directed. • Strong time management skills, managing multiple priorities and a heavy workload in a high-stress atmosphere. • Flexibility to perform other tasks as needed in an active work environment with changing work needs. • High-level problem solving, analytical, and investigational skills. • Excellent internal/external customer service skills. Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more. Sign-on Bonus Eligibility (if sign-on bonus offered for position): Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.

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