Manager, Debt Management

Summary
In partnership with Guthrie’s leadership team, the Debt Management Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing the strategic vision for The Guthrie Clinic’s related to patient and payer debt collection, account resolution, bad debt placement, and third-party collections. This role involves managing and coordinating the overall functions of patient/guarantor collection to ensure maximization of cash flow while maintaining patient, provider, and other customer relations. Works closely with administrative leaders, managers, clinical personnel and vendors to ensure effective and efficient self-pay pre-service, point of service and accounts receivables management. Provides direction in managing the activities and functions of analyzing self-pay accounts receivable for collection and aging trends, establishing performance metrics, develops automated and efficient workflows, identifying denial trends that lead to self-pay activity, develops and maintains departmental policies and procedures, establish departmental goals and report results to Director Debt Management. Identifies areas of improvement and works collaboratively with appropriate parties for resolution. Oversee the management of employees in patient guarantor collection. Maintains advanced knowledge of healthcare and automation of self-pay and bad debt A/R and strives to ensure compliance with federal and/or state laws and regulations. This role ensures effective debt recovery processes while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and promoting a patient-centered approach to financial interactions. The manager leads internal teams and external agency relationships to optimize collections and minimize financial risk to the organization.
Experience
10 years prior experience in healthcare, insurance or collection agency with responsibility and management of billing and patient collection.
Preferred Certifications:
- Certified Revenue Cycle Professional (CRCP) or Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP)
- Certification in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) or equivalent is a plus
Skills
Excellent working knowledge in the area of health care revenue cycle billing, strong medical terminology, collection, negotiation and insurance regulations required.
Advanced customer service, written, verbal, organizational and time management skills are a must.
Proficiency in revenue cycle platforms (i.e., EPIC, Cerner, Medent) Microsoft Office products including Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word.
Proven ability to train and coach staff and build and lead strong teams to meet performance goals and for project management.
Extensive working experience in managing and directing the work of others along with proven planning and problem-solving skills to perform analysis and reports are required.
The ability to make quality, independent decisions as well as collaborate effectively with other leaders.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in business, Health Administration, Finance or related field required. This requirement may be satisfied through an equivalent combination of education and 10 years prior experience in healthcare, insurance or collection agency with responsibility and management of billing and patient collection.
Essential Functions
Debt Portfolio Oversight
- Manage and monitor patient and payer receivables throughout the aging cycle
- Direct bad debt placement strategies and agency assignments in accordance with organizational policies
- Oversee early-out programs, payment plans, charity care screening, and financial assistance referrals
- Develop and maintain workflows for timely follow-up and account resolution
Vendor and Agency Management
- Oversee contracts, performance, and compliance of third-party collection agencies and debt buyers
- Conduct regular audits of agency activity to ensure adherence to service level agreements (SLAs) and regulatory guidelines
- Serve as primary liaison for vendor issue resolution and performance reporting
Compliance and Risk Management
- Ensure debt collection practices comply with federal, state, and industry regulations (e.g., FDCPA, HIPAA, No Surprises Act)
- Develop and enforce internal policies to manage risk related to consumer complaints, credit reporting, and legal collections
- Coordinate with legal counsel on litigation or escalated debt recovery issues
Patient Experience & Communication
- Promote a patient-centered collections approach that aligns with health system values and regulatory expectations
- Support communication strategies that provide transparency in billing, financial assistance, and repayment options
- Train staff on compassionate collections, escalation protocols, and financial hardship accommodations
Data Analysis and Reporting
- Create and present reports on collection performance, bad debt trends, recovery rates, and agency effectiveness
- Analyze account resolution trends to identify workflow improvements or upstream process gaps
- Forecast cash recovery from aged accounts and bad debt placements
Team Leadership
- Supervise and mentor staff responsible for self-pay collections, follow-up, and agency liaison roles
- Set goals, monitor productivity, and ensure staff adherence to policy and customer service standards
- Participate in recruitment, onboarding, and continuous education of team members
- Key Performance Metrics include: - Pre-Service Collection Rate
- Undistributed Credit Days
- Self-Pay Days
- Self-Pay Net Collection Ratio
- Self-Pay 90+%
- Bad Debt %
- Self-Pay Payments Auto Posted %
- Payment Plans Using Auto Pay %
- Self-Pay Credits Auto Resolved %
Other Duties
1. Travel for this position is sometimes required.
2. Participation in community and employee engagement activities is required.
3. It is understood that this description is not intended to be all-inclusive and that other duties may be assigned as necessary in the performance of this position.
Upload 9-22-25