Director, Payer Contracting & Partnerships

MedStar Health; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 114,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

MedStar Health seeks an experienced, strategic managed care leader to oversee payer contracting and relations across the system. You will coordinate with hospital leadership, physicians, revenue cycle, finance, and legal to shape contracting strategies and ensure favorable reimbursement and patient access.

The role requires deep knowledge of Maryland’s rate-regulated environment, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to drive contract performance across hospital, institutional, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare administration, public health, finance, or a related field required.
• Graduate degree in Business Administration, Public Health, Health Administration, or a related discipline preferred.
• Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in healthcare delivery systems, health insurance, payer contracting, or managed care.
• Demonstrated success negotiating complex healthcare contracts.
• Experience using information systems and data to strengthen administrative, financial, and operational oversight.
• Revenue cycle management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the negotiation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of managed care agreements for hospital, institutional, ancillary, and professional services, including contract language and reimbursement rates.
• Build and maintain strong payer relationships and serve as the primary resource for contract interpretation and reimbursement concerns.
• Collaborate with finance, revenue cycle, legal counsel, clinical leadership, and billing partners to resolve payer-related issues and ensure contract implementation.
• Conduct market, financial, utilization, and competitive analyses to identify contracting opportunities and support new services.
• Lead interdisciplinary contracting initiatives, RFP responses, package-pricing, and other strategic projects.
• Oversee clinical denial and appeal strategies and develop executive reports tracking denial trends and performance.
• Educate physicians, leaders, residents, and staff regarding payer policies and contractual changes.
• Assess payer satisfaction and coordinate improvement initiatives to support compliance and positive payer relationships.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree (business/healthcare admin/finance)

Graduate degree in Business/Public Health/Health Administration (preferred)

Job description

MedStar Health seeks an experienced, strategic managed care leader to oversee payer contracting and relations across the system. You will coordinate with hospital leadership, physicians, revenue cycle, finance, and legal to shape contracting strategies and ensure favorable reimbursement and patient access.

The role requires deep knowledge of Maryland’s rate-regulated environment, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to drive contract performance across hospital, institutional, and