Payer Relations Manager

Heartflow; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartflow is seeking a Payer Relations Manager for the Central States to build and manage strategic payer relationships across the Midwest. You will work with Market Access to resolve access barriers and optimize reimbursement strategies for Heartflow products.

The role focuses on securing favorable coverage, negotiating contracts, and supporting billing and collections initiatives with payers and health systems, leveraging your deep payer knowledge and cross‑functional collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• Proven experience closing commercial payers for coverage decisions and negotiating contracted rates.
• Hospital contracting experience - Preferred
• Comprehensive understanding of the global payer and reimbursement environment, specifically regarding coronary artery disease diagnostic testing in the U.S.
• Deep knowledge of coverage, coding, payment, and reimbursement requirements, alongside private payer policy infrastructure and trends.
• Demonstrated ability to develop physician advocates to demonstrate the clinical utility of medical technologies.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills with experience supporting field sales teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong aptitude for presentation development.
• Early‑stage company experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Execution: Execute tactical plans developed by market access leadership to increase covered lives and revenue within assigned regional managed care organizations (MCOs), Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), health systems, and insurance companies.
• Payer Negotiations: Lead discussions with relevant payers to secure positive coverage determinations, establish favorable medical policies, and optimize contract terms for payment.
• Provider Advocacy & Support: Coach physicians on the nuances of reimbursement advocacy, refine supporting materials from HQ for regional payer outreach, and support key opinion leader (KOL) development from a payer perspective.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary liaison between payer customers and internal teams. Partner with regional sales teams to support commercialization strategies and eliminate clinical access barriers.
• Market Intelligence: Provide critical competitive intelligence regarding the market access landscape and payer policy trends to leadership.
• Compliance: Act in strict accordance with all regulatory compliance requirements and Heartflow’s quality system standards.

Skills

Payer negotiations

Contracting with payers

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or advanced degree

Job description

Job Title: Payer Relations Manager - Central States

Locations: Minneapolis, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa, Louisiana, Georgia

Overview

Heartflow is a pioneering medical technology company dedicated to advancing the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease—the leading cause of death worldwide—using cutting‑edge technology. Our flagship product, the Heartflow FFRCT Analysis, is an AI‑driven, non‑invasive cardiac test supported by ACC/AHA Chest Pain Guidelines. It provides a color‑coded, 3D model of a patient’s coronary arteries, illustrating the precise impact of blockages on blood flow.

Heartflow delivers the first AI‑driven, non‑invasive integrated heart care solution across the CCTA pathway, helping clinicians:

• Identify stenoses in the coronary arteries (RoadMap™ Analysis)
• Assess coronary blood flow (FFRCT Analysis)
• Characterize and quantify coronary atherosclerosis (Plaque Analysis)

As a publicly traded company (HTFL) used by over 750,000 patients worldwide, our pipeline and team are rapidly expanding. Join us in revolutionizing precision heart care.

Role Summary

The Payer Relations Manager is responsible for identifying, developing, and managing strategic relationships with regional commercial payers and key healthcare organizations within an assigned geographic territory. Working closely with the Market Access team, including sales, implementation, and billing specialist teams, you will serve as the primary resource for resolving payer‑related issues and minimizing access barriers.

Your goal is to achieve favorable coverage policies, secure reimbursement contracts for Heartflow products with commercial payers, and support broader billing and collections initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Execution: Execute tactical plans developed by market access leadership to increase covered lives and revenue within assigned regional managed care organizations (MCOs), Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), health systems, and insurance companies.
• Payer Negotiations: Lead discussions with relevant payers to secure positive coverage determinations, establish favorable medical policies, and optimize contract terms for payment.
• Provider Advocacy & Support: Coach physicians on the nuances of reimbursement advocacy, refine supporting materials from HQ for regional payer outreach, and support key opinion leader (KOL) development from a payer perspective.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary liaison between payer customers and internal teams. Partner with regional sales teams to support commercialization strategies and eliminate clinical access barriers.
• Market Intelligence: Provide critical competitive intelligence regarding the market access landscape and payer policy trends to leadership.
• Compliance: Act in strict accordance with all regulatory compliance requirements and Heartflow’s quality system standards.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Proven experience closing commercial payers for coverage decisions and negotiating contracted rates within the medical device or diagnostics industry
• Hospital contracting experience - Preferred
• Comprehensive understanding of the global payer and reimbursement environment, specifically regarding coronary artery disease diagnostic testing in the U.S.
• Deep knowledge of coverage, coding, payment, and reimbursement requirements, alongside private payer policy infrastructure and trends.
• Demonstrated ability to develop physician advocates to demonstrate the clinical utility of medical technologies.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills with experience supporting field sales teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong aptitude for presentation development.
• Early‑stage company experience preferred.

Education & Experience

• Minimum of 5+ years of healthcare, managed care, and reimbursement industry experience.
• Bachelor’s degree (BS) required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Compensation

• Estimated Base Salary: $140,000 – $145,000 per year
• Variable Pay: Up to $50,000 per year

Heartflow is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to every aspect of employment at Heartflow, including recruitment, hiring, training, relocation, promotion, and termination.