Gabby Hoffman interned with Tucson Orthopaedic Institute where she navigated health insurance coverage administration and ensured access to proper healthcare for current and past military members and their families.
How did you get your internship?
I was very fortunate with this internship because I was able to complete it at my place of employment at the time, Tucson Orthopaedic Institute! There I worked as an inbound medical receptionist where I checked in patients, reviewed their insurance, collected payments, scheduled future appointments, and more. In this role I had already learned a lot, but I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to work with the health insurance provider for people in the military, veterans, and their family members, Tricare Triwest. This was an entirely new operating system that required a skill that I had no previous knowledge of, and I wanted to learn more in order to better provide care for our patients and the internship gave me the perfect opportunity to do so! I spoke with my supervisor and we started the process of crafting the internship work plan and getting it approved!
Why did you choose this internship?
This internship spoke to me as my Applied Humanities major had an emphasis in Public Health because health insurance is often a major obstacle to those looking to receive any medical care, especially specialty care. In the United States, healthcare is incredibly expensive for the majority of the population and while military members and veterans are in a unique situation with their blanket coverage, the system doesn’t always make getting healthcare affordable or accessible. I was particularly drawn to the coverage for veterans because I wanted to get down to the “‘why?” of why obtaining specialty coverage seemed so difficult. I wanted to learn everything I could so that I could figure out ways to remove barriers and roadblocks for my patients and streamline their access to specialty healthcare!
What new knowledge did you learn from this experience?
I was able to learn so much from this internship! The primary transferable skills that I developed were health insurance verification and filing for healthcare authorizations with Tricare Triwest. As someone planning to continue to work in the medical field, these are very beneficial skills to have because there will always be patients with Tricare Triwest health insurance. Having in-depth knowledge of the functions and meticulous details behind this healthcare coverage gives me the unique ability to help my patients through roadblocks in getting the care they need.
What was the most satisfying part of your internship and why was it meaningful?
The most satisfying parts of my internship were the situations in which I was able to solve the puzzles that created obstacles for patients! It was common to run into situations in which a claim was denied, needing more information, or needing proper documentation for a mutual patient, but it’s not always clear on what is needed or why a claim was denied. I loved being able to sit down and solve the puzzles that were impeding my patients’ care and then being able to speak with those patients and let them know when I had gotten over that obstacle for them! This saved them the hassle of doing so themselves while being in pain or juggling other commitments. It is important to me that everyone be able to access timely and efficient healthcare and being able to aid in getting my patients there was extremely rewarding.
Did you have any major projects that you worked on?
The biggest project that I worked on was implementing an internal system that aided our staff in obtaining authorizations for our Triwest VA patients in a timely manner! At the start of my internship I was informed by the VA that there was a month turnaround time in getting authorizations out for veterans. This meant that if we weren’t submitting requests for these authorizations at least a month prior to a patient’s appointment, they likely wouldn’t be authorized to see us and we would have to cancel their appointment or they would have to pay out of pocket. This was a major problem for patients that were in the middle of receiving care but had previous authorizations that were expiring. In order to make sure we stayed on top of these requests, I created a system using flags on patient accounts to notify anyone looking at their account when the authorization they already had expired. This created a quick way for medical assistants, appointment schedulers, and other staff to see when the patient would need a new authorization and ensure that the requests were being submitted at least a month in advance! By the end of my internship, we no longer had to reschedule any patients due to a lack of prior authorization which greatly increased patient satisfaction!
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
My internship opened my eyes to what I want to be doing in my future career! I knew I wanted to work in the medical field, but I hadn’t quite figured out where exactly I wanted to land after getting my degree. Due to this experience and my drive for increasing efficient and timely care for patients, I secured a job in a Family Medicine office! I consider this to be an area in which proper healthcare starts. Having a strong relationship with a primary care provider is so important and is often the bridge to getting specialty care when it is needed! I am thrilled to be a part of this and so excited to find the ways I can best be there for my patients and aid them in getting the care that they need!
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
My advice to other students who are searching for their own internship is to do something that may be out of their comfort zone! I had no knowledge of Tricare Triwest health insurance before starting this process and it was intimidating to know that it was in my hands to ensure these patients had access to specialty care that they needed. I am so glad I took on the challenge though because I learned so many amazing things and gained some great mentors along the way that I am incredibly grateful for! I encourage other students to seek opportunities that may seem intimidating, because it pushes them to try something new and learn what all they are capable of!