Referral and Authorization Specialist

Anchor Co-Living; Bogotá; Remote; COP 47,588,779 - 61,865,413; Part time

Job summary

Anchor Co-Living, based in Bogotá, Colombia, is seeking a healthcare intake specialist to manage urgent referral placements effectively. You will interact with healthcare stakeholders, ensuring timely and accurate documentation while navigating payer portals.

Ideal candidates will possess 2+ years in healthcare intake or authorization, demonstrate fluency in English, and ideally Spanish, while being able to work remotely during Pacific Time hours. This role is crucial for helping individuals access housing and care.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in healthcare intake or prior authorization.
• Experience submitting authorizations to U.S. health plans.
• Comfortable in payer portals and maintaining accurate EHR documentation.
• Ability to work full-time during Pacific Time business hours.

Responsibilities

• Handle inbound referral calls from various healthcare stakeholders.
• Gather and clarify intake information for quick referral action.
• Verify Medi-Cal eligibility during initial interaction.
• Prepare and submit authorization requests using payer portals.
• Track authorizations daily for approval status.
• Investigate denials and resolve documentation gaps.

Skills

Healthcare intake experience

Prior authorization experience

Medical billing experience

ICD-10 knowledge

Fluent professional English

Spanish fluency

Job description

Company Overview

Anchor Co-Living provides transitional and supportive housing for people on Medi‑Cal who need a safe place to recover, stabilize, and regain independence. We support California's CalAIM Community Supports program and work with Medi‑Cal health plans across five counties. We are a small, growing team, and this role plays an important part in helping members move from referral to placement.

The Opportunity

This role is for someone who does more than process paperwork. You will be the person who helps convert urgent incoming referrals into approved placements by asking the right questions, documenting accurately, and staying on top of each authorization until there is a clear answer. It is a strong next step for someone with healthcare intake or prior authorization experience who wants more ownership, more visibility, and work that directly affects whether people get access to housing and care.

What You'll Do

• Handle inbound referral calls from hospital discharge planners, MCP care coordinators, county behavioral health teams, and community partners.
• Gather complete intake information, clarify missing details, and create referrals the team can act on quickly.
• Verify Medi‑Cal eligibility and MCP enrollment whenever possible during the initial interaction.
• Prepare and submit authorization requests to the correct Medi‑Cal health plan using payer portals and internal workflows.
• Track each authorization daily through approval, pend, or denial, and keep documentation current in the EHR.
• Investigate denials, resolve documentation gaps, and resubmit requests to prevent unnecessary delays in member placement.

What Success Looks Like

• Incoming referrals are documented promptly, accurately, and with minimal follow‑up needed to move forward.
• Authorization requests are submitted cleanly to the correct payer and tracked consistently to resolution.
• Missing eligibility, clinical, or documentation details are identified early before they create denials or delays.
• Referral partners experience Anchor as responsive, organized, and easy to work with during stressful situations.
• Approved members are handed off smoothly to regional Community Managers with complete records and clear next steps.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who can balance empathy with precision. The strongest candidates will be comfortable speaking with stressed referral partners, gathering essential information quickly, and then shifting into detail‑heavy follow‑through without losing accuracy.

Key qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience in healthcare intake, prior authorization, or medical billing
• Experience submitting authorizations to U.S. health plans
• Comfort working in payer portals and maintaining accurate documentation in an EHR
• Working knowledge of ICD-10 codes and basic medical terminology
• Fluent professional English, both spoken and written
• Ability to work full-time during Pacific Time business hours in a remote environment

Helpful additional experience includes Spanish fluency, direct knowledge of California Medi‑Cal or CalAIM Community Supports, experience with denials and appeals, and work in behavioral health, substance use, or housing-related services. We do not require a degree.

Compensation and Benefits

• $10-$13 USD per hour
• 1099 contractor role
• 40 hours per week
• One week of paired onboarding before working calls independently
• Direct access to your supervisor for support and problem‑solving
• Clear written expectations and feedback

Work Location / Schedule

Remote, based in Latin America. Candidates may be located in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, or another LatAm country with stable infrastructure.

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM Pacific Time.

Candidates must have a private home office and wired internet of at least 50 Mbps.

How to Apply

If you have healthcare authorization experience and want a role where strong follow‑through helps people access care and housing faster, we encourage you to apply.