Concurrent Utilization Review Nurse, RN

NeueHealth; United States; Remote; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

NeueHealth is seeking a CONCURRENT UTILIZATION REVIEW (UR) NURSE to perform real-time clinical reviews ensuring medical necessity for inpatient and continued stays. You will collaborate with the Medical Director and care teams to prepare summaries, justify decisions, and support appropriate transitions of care.

In this role you will process authorizations, communicate with providers and payers, and ensure adherence to NCQA/URAC guidelines and health plan policies.

Qualifications

• Active California RN license required.
• BSN preferred or required.
• Experience in concurrent utilization review is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Perform real-time concurrent reviews for inpatient and skilled nursing services to determine medical necessity.
• Provide comprehensive clinical summaries and justifications for decisions to Medical Director.
• Process authorizations and denials per health plan guidelines and timelines.
• Coordinate with care teams to facilitate transitions of care and discharge planning.
• Educate providers and staff on utilization management guidelines and compliance.

Skills

Inpatient utilization management

Clinical documentation review

Payer communications

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

RN license (CA, active/unrestricted)

BSN

Job description

NeueHealth is a value-driven healthcare company grounded in the belief that all health consumers are entitled to high-quality, coordinated care. By uniquely aligning the interests of health consumers, providers, and payors, we help to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all populations across the ACA Marketplace, Medicare, and Medicaid.

NeueHealth delivers clinical care to health consumers through our owned clinics – Centrum Health and Premier Medical – as well as unique partnerships with affiliated providers across the country. We also enable providers to succeed in performance-based arrangements through a suite of technology and services scaled centrally and deployed locally. Through our value-driven, consumer-centric approach, we are committed to transforming healthcare and creating a better care experience for all.

Job Summary:

The Concurrent Utilization Review (UR) Nurse is responsible for conducting real-time clinical reviews to ensure the medical necessity and appropriateness of healthcare services provided to members under a managed care health plan. This role involves assessing inpatient admission and continued stays, coordinating with healthcare providers, facilitating communication with payers, and ensuring compliance with health plan policies and clinical guidelines. The UR Nurse collaborates with the Medical Director and clinical leadership for complex cases, denials, and escalated reviews.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Concurrent Review & Case Assessment

• Conduct timely reviews of inpatient and skilled nursing services to determine medical necessity and appropriateness based on established clinical guidelines (e.g., InterQual, MCG).
• Evaluate clinical documentation to support level-of-care determinations, treatment plans, and continued hospital stays.
• Ensure adherence to health plan policies, clinical criteria, and regulatory requirements.

2. Collaboration with Medical Director

• Review and accelerate complex or borderline cases to the Medical Director for further assessment.
• Provide the Medical Director with comprehensive clinical summaries, including case history, treatment plans, and justifications for continued care or level-of-care decisions.
• Collaborate with the Medical Director to develop treatment recommendations and resolve discrepancies in care.

3. Authorization & Payer Communication

• Process authorization requests for inpatient hospital admissions, LTAC, inpatient rehab, and skilled nursing admissions.
• Communicate with healthcare providers to request additional documentation or clarify treatment plans.
• Ensure timely approvals or denials of requested services per the health plan’s benefit structure and clinical guidelines.
• Escalate cases to the Medical Director or higher clinical authority when necessary.
• Work closely with case managers, social workers, and care teams to facilitate seamless care transitions.
• Participate in interdisciplinary discussions to address complex cases and ensure members receive appropriate care.
• Identify and escalated discharge barriers to support timely and effective discharge planning.
• Assist in transitioning patients from inpatient to outpatient or post-acute care settings.

5. Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, accreditation standards (e.g., NCQA, URAC), and health plan policies.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date documentation of all concurrent review activities, including authorizations, denials, escalations, and Medical Director reviews.
• Support quality improvement initiatives by tracking utilization trends and identifying resource optimization opportunities.
• Educate providers and staff on health plan clinical guidelines, medical necessity criteria, and authorization processes.
• Provide guidance on escalating complex cases to the Medical Director.
• Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices in utilization management.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and case conferences.

Qualifications:

• Education: Registered Nurse (RN) with an active, unrestricted California nursing license required; BSN