MEDICAID PROGRAM SPECIALIST 1-2

State of Louisiana; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance Coverage

Parental Leave

Holidays and Leave

Sick and Annual Leave

Retirement Plans

Job summary

Louisiana Department of Health in Baton Rouge seeks a Medicaid Program Specialist to guide members through eligibility, applications, renewals, and case updates while delivering high-quality service with empathy and cultural awareness.

The role requires deep Medicaid knowledge, strong communication, and critical thinking to interpret policies and accurately communicate outcomes to members and providers.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience in research and analysis related to Medicaid programs; public health, public relations, social services, health services, or administrative services; OR
• Six years of full‑time work experience in any field; OR
• A bachelor's degree.

Responsibilities

• Maintains extensive knowledge of Medicaid programs, policies and procedures to communicate eligibility with members, potential members, and providers.
• Communicates eligibility determinations, including decision letters, based on Medicaid policy.
• Completes Medicaid applications and renewals, provides case status information, updates demographic changes, and manages case changes per instructions.
• Communicates effectively with members, potential members, and providers by phone.
• Demonstrates empathy, problem-solving, patience, active listening, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and cultural competency in interactions.

Skills

Medicaid knowledge or program details

Communication skills

Critical thinking

Empathy and active listening

Cultural competency

Problem-solving

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

About This Job

The mission of the Louisiana Department of Health is to protect and promote health and to ensure access to medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services for all residents of the State of Louisiana.

Learn more about the Louisiana Department of Health

Join a team where your expertise and people skills shine. Use your deep knowledge of Medicaid programs to guide members through eligibility, applications, renewals, and case updates—while delivering exceptional service through empathy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. If you’re passionate about helping others and solving complex challenges, we want you.

An Ideal Candidate Should Possess The Following Competencies

• Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement.
• Demonstrating Accountability: The ability to take ownership of actions, behaviors, performance, decisions, and outcomes.
• Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well-supported conclusions.
• Using Data: The ability to collect, analyze, and use data to generate insights and inform decisions.
• Accepting Direction: The ability to be open and willing to follow guidance or instructions.
• Demonstrating Emotional Intelligence: The ability to identify and understand emotions in oneself and others and use that understanding to manage one's behavior and relationships.
• Demonstrating Initiative: The ability to assess situations independently and take proactive steps to address them without being prompted or instructed by others.
• Thinking Strategically: The ability to anticipate trends, understand context, and align actions with long‑term priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three years of experience in research and analysis related to Medicaid programs; public health, public relations, social services, health services, or administrative services; OR
• Six years of full‑time work experience in any field; OR
• A bachelor's degree.

Experience Substitution

Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full‑time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties

• Maintains an extensive and precise working knowledge of all Medicaid programs, policies and procedures, and eligibility and ancillary systems in order to accurately and effectively communicate Medicaid policy and eligibility with members, potential members, and providers.
• Responsible for employing knowledge of Medicaid eligibility policy and procedure to interpret and communicate eligibility determinations, including decision letters.
• Completes Medicaid applications, completes Medicaid renewals, provides information on case status and Medicaid program coverage, completes requests for duplicate cards, completes requests for case changes such as changes to demographic information and income, adds or removes case members, and reads and interprets case notes and notices.
• Responsible for communicating effectively with members, potential members, and providers by phone.
• Responsible for utilizing soft skills in all interactions, including empathy, problem‑solving, patience, active listening, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, creativity, time management, critical thinking, and social skills. Responsible for understanding and applying cultural competency.

Position‑Specific Details

Location: Medical Vendor Administration / Eligibility Field Operations / East Baton Rouge

Appointment Type: Probational, Job Appointment (temporary appointment that may last up to 48 months), Promotional or Detail appointment of a current classified LDH employee.

Cost Center: 305-2050412

Position Number(s): 50656167

Career Progression: This position may be filled as a Medicaid Program Specialist 1 or 2 depending on the qualifications of the selected applicant.

Compensation: This position is eligible for Premium Pay of up to $2.00/hr for hours worked based on longevity.

Bilingual applicants may be eligible for premium pay up to $2.50 hourly for hours worked only.

Contact Information

[e-mail]

LA Department of Health (LDH)

Division of Human Resources

PO Box 4818

Baton Rouge, LA 70821

225-342-6477

This organization participates in E-verify, and for more information on E-verify, please contact DHS at 1-888-464-4218.

LDH supports Louisiana’s commitment to being a State as a Model Employer (SAME) by promoting the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

Information on Louisiana Works, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services is available here.

LDH is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to recruit a highly productive and diverse workforce and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non‑merit factors.

Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.

As a State Employee, You Will Earn Competitive Pay, Choose From a Variety Of Benefits, And Have Access To a Great Professional Development Program:

• Insurance Coverage More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/
• Parental Leave – Up to six weeks paid parental leave. More information can be found at https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx
• Holidays and Leave – State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
• Mardi Gras,
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Veteran's Day
• Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
• Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

• Retirement – State Of Louisiana Employees Are Eligible To Participate In Various Retirement Systems (based On The Type Of Appointment And Agency For Which An Employee Works). These Retirement Systems Provide Retirement Allowances And Other Benefits For State Officers And Employees And Their Beneficiaries. State Retirement Systems May Include (but Are Not Limited To):

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (www.lasersonline.org). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system
• Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (www.trsl.org),
• Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (www.lsers.net), among others