Medical Director, Prior Authorization

Physician Pivot; California; On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

Discretionary awards

CME stipend and paid CME time

Job summary

Regal Medical Group, Lakeside Community Healthcare & Affiliated Doctors of Orange County in Southern California, seeks a Medical Director of Prior Authorization to lead medical necessity reviews and guide pre-service decisions. You will collaborate with physicians and care teams to ensure appropriate, cost-effective care.

The role emphasizes provider relations, quality improvement, and adherence to guidelines across Pomona, Chino, and San Gabriel Valley, with on-site responsibilities and a

Qualifications

• MD degree required; board certification preferred or board-eligible.
• Minimum five years of clinical experience; managed-care or health-plan experience preferred.
• Strong ability to interpret clinical guidelines and apply policies.

Responsibilities

• Review pre-service requests for medical necessity and determine appropriate actions.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other Medical Directors to deliver cost-effective care.
• Manage provider relations and communicate utilization criteria and documentation expectations.

Skills

MS Office

Communication

Typing 50 wpm

Organizational skills

Project management

Ethics

Stakeholder management

Education

MD degree

Board certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

About The Company

Regal Medical Group, Lakeside Community Healthcare & Affiliated Doctors of Orange County are seeking an experienced Medical Director, Prior Authorization to support our network in Pomona, Chino, San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities. This physician leader will ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time and in the right setting through high-quality medical necessity review, care coordination, and strong provider relationships.

About The Role

The Medical Director is responsible for actively participating in the review process of pre-service requests for services and applying appropriate clinical guidelines to determine medical necessity. The role includes making recommendations for approvals, denials, modifications, or redirections, while collaborating closely with other physician reviewers, nurses, and Medical Directors to deliver excellent, cost-effective care aligned with medical management and referral processing guidelines. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and skilled at evaluating complex clinical information, communicating clearly with members and providers, and supporting internal teams.

Responsibilities

Prior authorization & medical management

• Understand, promote, and manage the principles of medical management to facilitate the right care for patients at the right time and in the right setting.
• Participate, as part of a team of medical directors, nurses, and coordinators, in the pre-service medical necessity review of patient care.
• Review prior authorization requests for medical necessity using appropriate, evidence-based clinical guidelines and policies.
• Identify high-risk patients and help coordinate care with the Employer’s high-risk team to improve outcomes and reduce avoidable utilization.
• Meet periodically with primary care physicians, specialists, and provider groups to review best practices for patient care and referral quality.
• Perform prior authorization functions for various Employer campuses, including cross coverage, secondary/tertiary review, and medical director decision-making when needed.
• Conduct retroactive claims review for outpatient and inpatient care, as needed.

Provider relations

• Work with the Employer’s network management team to establish and maintain strong provider relations within the IPA.
• Serve as a direct resource to IPA providers on utilization management issues and other aspects of patient care, including authorization criteria and documentation expectations.

Quality, grievance, and appeals

• Understand the Employer and its affiliates’ internal Quality, Grievance & Appeals (Q/G&A) programs and participate in review and response to grievances, appeals, and peer review cases.
• Attend and contribute to meetings to review, develop, and continually improve internal quality improvement and peer review processes and programs.
• Provide verbal counseling to IPA providers following G&A determinations, collaborating on corrective action plans and follow-up activities.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree required.
• Specialty training and/or managed care experience preferred.
• Board certification preferred; board eligible acceptable.
• Minimum of five years of prior clinical experience required, with at least two years of managed-care or health-plan experience preferred.
• Demonstrated strong clinical fund of knowledge and familiarity with clinical research principles.
• Ability to interpret and apply clinical guidelines and organizational policies in day-to-day decision-making.

Required Skills

• Strong proficiency in MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, PowerPoint) and ability to conduct research over the internet.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to explain complex clinical and utilization concepts to diverse audiences.
• Ability to type at least 50 words per minute with accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work effectively in a multi-task, high-stress environment.
• Proven ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, reset priorities day-to-day to meet deadlines, and seek assistance appropriately when priorities conflict.
• High personal ethics; self-motivated, self-guided, and driven to improve patient care and operational performance.
• Ability to work with all levels of management and develop positive working relationships with medical directors and company department heads.
• Ability to deal responsibly with confidential matters and adhere to all regulatory and organizational standards.
• Must be able to attend on-site department meetings and trainings when needed.

Pay Range And Compensation Package

• Base salary range at commencement of employment: $250,000 – $350,000 per year depending on experience.
• Actual base pay may vary based on market location, job-related knowledge, licensure, skills, and experience.

This is an at-will position, and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary and any other discretionary payment or compensation program at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company performance, department/team performance, and market factors.

The Total Compensation Package May Also Include

• Sign-on bonus
• Discretionary awards

Equal Opportunity Statement

Who We Are: As one of the fastest-growing Independent Physician Associations in Southern California, Regal Medical Group, Lakeside Community Healthcare & Affiliated Doctors of Orange County offer a fast-paced, exciting, welcoming, and supportive work environment. Opportunities abound for enterprising, capable, and focused individuals, and we promote teamwork, nurture learning, and encourage advancement for all employees. We believe your success is our success and are committed to helping you excel.

Benefits

We are dedicated to employee satisfaction and to supporting the health and wellness of our members by providing employees with options and resources to build security and maintain work–life balance. Our comprehensive benefits package includes many employer-paid options:

Health and wellness

• Employer-paid comprehensive medical, pharmacy, and dental coverage for employees.
• Vision insurance.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Behavioral Health services

Savings and retirement

• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.
• Income protection insurance.

Additional Benefits

• Vacation time, sick days, and paid holidays.
• Company celebrations and Employee Referral Bonus program.
• Tuition reimbursement and License Renewal CEU Cost Reimbursement Program.
• CME stipend and paid CME time.
• Malpractice insurance coverage.
• Mileage

Employer will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the LA City Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.