We work with patients and customers who are confused or upset about their medical insurance. Tell me about a time you had to teach and train an upset customer. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?

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Community Answers

Health insurance can be very complex to the average person, and the interviewer wants to know if you can handle an upset person. Show that you care about each caller and have empathy for that individual. Showcase your problem-solving skills and your ability to handle a high degree of emotion on the phone without getting rattled while helping the customer and getting them what they need.

"I had a caller the other week who was crying because her insurance didn't cover a procedure that she had a month prior. She was very upset and stated that she couldn't afford to pay the bill. I let her talk without interrupting her and listened. I repeated back to her what the issue was to make sure I understood her correctly. I took her information and looked up her account to see what her insurance covered. I discovered that our insurance did cover 80% of the procedure, but she had to pay for the other 20%. Through further conversation in a calming voice, I was able to tell her that insurance did cover a big portion of the procedure and gave her the number of the financial assistance office at the hospital to see if they could put her on a payment plan for the remaining portion. I knew from my experience that most health care systems offer this. She sounded relieved and grateful when we hung up and thanked me for my help."

"I had a caller who didn't know what his statement meant; he said the medical terminology didn't make sense to him. I wrote down his questions and then pulled up his statement and walked him through each part so he understood the statement. He didn't have any payments he would be responsible for, so he was very happy. He didn't know this until I took the time to walk him through the statement. He thanked me at the end of the call."

Anonymous Answer

"Working in dialysis, I often get patients that have no insurance or need to change their insurance coverage to Medicare. I have spent a lot of time assisting patients through the Medicare process in which can be confusing and frustrating to someone who is new to dialysis. I recently had a patient who was getting close to their COB and their private insurance company was requesting that they apply for Medicare. The patient became very upset and agitated due to a change in coverage. I spent time with her explaining COB, Medicare, and the changes in coverage. After providing the education and support the patient became more agreeable to the change and understood why her insurance company was requesting the change."

Stephanie's Feedback

Great response! You do an excellent job of sharing a specific example to illustrate how you provide information and support to patients who are frustrated or confused. Your compassion really shines through in this response.