Lead Analyst, Payment Integrity - REMOTE

Molina Healthcare; Scottsdale (AZ); Remote; USD 77,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Scottsdale is seeking a Business Analyst to drive financial performance and improve claim accuracy. The role requires 6+ years of experience in Managed Care, excellent data analysis skills, and the ability to work independently. The ideal candidate will collaborate with various teams to implement strategies for operational improvement. This position offers a competitive salary range of $77,969 - $155,508 annually.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package

Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in a Managed Care Organization or health plan setting.
• Proven experience in operational project ownership, especially in claims payment integrity.
• Strong knowledge of managed care claims coding and Medicaid payment rules.

Responsibilities

• Manage tasks related to pre-pay edits and overpayment recovery.
• Lead efforts to improve claim payment accuracy.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to implement resolution strategies.

Skills

Business Judgment

Cross-functional Coordination

Communication Skills

Managed Care Claims Knowledge

Analytical Thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Excel

Structured Query Language (SQL)

Job description

Job Summary

Provides lead level support as a highly capable business analyst who serves as a key strategic partner in driving health plan financial performance. This role focuses on identifying and executing operational initiatives tied to Payment Integrity (PI) and provider claims accuracy. The individual will be relied upon to make independent, informed decisions, contribute to health plan strategy, and act as a trusted voice in resolving complex business challenges that impact cost containment and regulatory compliance. The position requires strong business judgment, cross-functional coordination, and shared ownership of high-value deliverables—distinct from a pure data analyst role.

Job Duties

Business Leadership & Operational Ownership

• Assists and executes tasks and projects to ensure Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and State regulatory requirements are met for Pre-pay Edits, Overpayment Recovery which improves encounter submissions, reduces General and Administrative expenses (G&A) costs, and continues to drive positive operational and financial outcomes for all PI solutions.
• Manages Scorable Action Items (SAIs) related to pre-pay editing, post-pay audit, and overpayment recovery initiatives to ensure Health Plan SAI targets are met.
• Leads efforts to improve claim payment accuracy and financial performance without needing extensive oversight.
• Collaborates with operational teams, enterprise stakeholders, and finance partners to proactively identify issues and implement resolution strategies.
• Serves as a thought partner to health plan leadership and provides well-reasoned recommendations that support short- and long-term business goals.
• Partners with Network to communicate recovery projects so that provider relations can be informed and respond to questions from providers.

Strategic Business Analysis

• Uses a business lens to ensure accurate interpretation of provider claims trends, payment integrity issues, and process gaps.
• Applies understanding of healthcare regulations, managed care claims workflows, and provider reimbursement models to shape recommendations and action plans.
• Translates strategic needs into clear requirements, workflows, and solutions that drive measurable improvement.
• Partners with finance and compliance to develop business cases and support reporting that ties operational outcomes to financial targets.

Applied Analytical Support

• Uses Excel and Structured Query Language (SQL) as tools to support business analysis, not as the core function of the role.
• Validates findings and tests assumptions through data, but leads with contextual knowledge of claims processing, provider contracts, and operational realities.
• Creates succinct summaries and visualizations that enable faster decision-making by leadership—not raw data exploration.

Job Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 6 years of experience as a Business Analyst or Program Manager in a Managed Care Organization (MCO) or health plan setting, including experience in Medicaid and/or Medicare, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
• Proven experience owning operational projects from concept to execution, especially in the areas of provider reimbursement and claims payment integrity.
• Strong working knowledge of managed care claims coding (CPT, ICD, HCPCS, Revenue Codes), and federal/state Medicaid payment rules.
• Skilled in Excel and SQL, with the ability to analyze data to inform business decisions—but not dependent on technical guidance for action.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and apply business judgment in a highly regulated, cross-functional environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including ability to synthesize complex information.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace lines of business.
• Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), or Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification.
• Project Management Experience
• Familiarity with Medicaid-specific Scorable Action Items (SAIs), Operational Cost Management Efforts, Payment Integrity programs, and regulatory/compliance adherence.

To all current Molina employees: If you are interested in applying for this position, please apply through the intranet job listing.

Molina Healthcare offers a competitive benefits and compensation package. Molina Healthcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/D/V.

Pay Range: $77,969 - $155,508 / ANNUAL

*Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.