Team Lead, Prior Authorizations

Mass General Brigham (Enterprise Services); Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Mass General Brigham Brigham is seeking a Prior Authorization and Referral Team Lead to oversee daily operations of the prior authorization and referral function. You will lead workflows, mentor staff, and ensure timely, compliant processing using Epic and Tableau dashboards.

Strong leadership, healthcare regulations knowledge, and Epic experience are essential. This role is based in our Boston area facility with remote options for eligible staff.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of prior authorization processes, payer requirements, and healthcare regulations.
• Strong leadership, management, and team-building skills.
• Excellent communication with providers, patients, and insurance representatives.
• Proficiency with EHR systems and prior authorization software.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Prior Authorization and Referral department.
• Lead, mentor, and train team members for accuracy and productivity.
• Monitor performance using Epic/Tableau dashboards and forecast staffing needs.

Skills

Prior Authorization

Leadership

Team Training

Billing & Coding

Education

Associate’s degree in Medical Billing

Medical Billing and Coding certification preferred

Tools

Epic EHR

Tableau

Job description

Site: Mass General Brigham Incorporated

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

About the Role

Mass General Brigham is seeking a highly organized and experienced Prior Authorization and Referral Team Lead to oversee the daily operations of the prior authorization and referral function. This role is responsible for ensuring the timely, accurate, and compliant processing of authorization and referral requests for medical services while supporting an exceptional experience for patients, providers, and internal partners.

The Team Lead will oversee workflows related to insurance eligibility verification, specialty referrals, medical necessity review, and the collection, review, submission, and documentation of required clinical and authorization information. This individual will serve as a key resource to staff and cross-functional partners, collaborating with providers, clinical teams, payers, third-party administrators, and other departments to resolve complex authorization issues and ensure services are appropriately authorized.

In addition to operational oversight, this role provides leadership, mentorship, training, and support to team members. The Team Lead will use Epic and Tableau reporting tools to monitor department performance, identify workflow trends, forecast staffing needs, and support data-driven decision-making. This position will also identify opportunities for process improvement, conduct proactive and reactive audits, and help ensure compliance with payer requirements, healthcare regulations, organizational policies, and HIPAA standards.

This is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented healthcare professional who enjoys problem-solving, leading others, working collaboratively across departments, and improving processes in a complex healthcare environment.

What You Will Do

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Prior Authorization and Referral department, ensuring efficient workflows, timely processing, and adherence to organizational policies and procedures.
• Lead, mentor, precept, and train team members, providing ongoing guidance and support to promote accuracy, productivity, professional development, and high-quality service.
• Monitor department workflows and performance using Epic and Tableau dashboards and reporting tools, including work queue monitoring reports, to identify trends, evaluate workload, and forecast staffing needs.
• Ensure prior authorization and referral requests are processed accurately and within required timeframes in accordance with payer requirements, healthcare regulations, organizational policies, and HIPAA standards.
• Ensure required medical records, clinical documentation, medical necessity information, and authorization details are appropriately collected, reviewed, submitted, and documented in the EHR.
• Coordinate authorization requirements for medical services, including tests, procedures, imaging, and specialty care, ensuring all required information is submitted accurately and promptly to insurance companies and other payers.
• Identify and communicate authorization concerns to patients, providers, and appropriate internal stakeholders prior to scheduled admissions, procedures, or services.
• Collaborate with providers, ordering clinicians, clinical departments, medical offices, payers, and third-party administrators to resolve complex authorization and referral issues.
• Review and address complex authorization denials and appeals, partnering with providers, patients, and payers to gather supporting documentation and pursue appropriate resolutions.
• Collaborate with ordering clinicians and other clinical partners, when needed, to ensure appropriate CPT codes and supporting clinical information are submitted for prior authorization and referral requests.
• Develop, implement, and monitor process improvements designed to increase operational efficiency, improve accuracy, and reduce authorization and referral turnaround times.
• Conduct proactive and reactive audits to identify compliance risks, workflow gaps, documentation issues, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to standardize processes, strengthen departmental workflows, and enhance communication and collaboration across departments.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of authorization and referral activities in accordance with organizational, payer, regulatory, and HIPAA requirements.
• Refer patients to Financial Counseling and other appropriate resources when financial assistance, insurance guidance, or additional support is needed.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

High School Diploma or Equivalent required and associate's degree Medical Billing and Coding preferred or associate's degree Related Field of Study preferred

Experience in prior authorization, medical billing, or related roles within a healthcare setting 3-5 years required

Experience in a leadership or supervisory role 1-2 years preferred and Epic experience 1-2 years preferred

• In-depth knowledge of prior authorization processes, payer requirements, and healthcare regulations.
• Strong leadership, management, and team-building skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with providers, patients, and insurance representatives.
• Proficiency in electronic health records (EHR) systems and prior authorization software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, excellent attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

• Knowledge of prior authorization and referral workflows within a complex healthcare system.
• Experience with insurance verification, medical necessity review, denials management, and appeals.
• Familiarity with CPT coding and the clinical documentation required to support authorization requests.
• Experience working with Epic work queues and operational reporting tools such as Tableau.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process inefficiencies and implement sustainable workflow improvements.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and compliance.
• Ability to work independently while also functioning effectively as part of a collaborative team.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing excellent service to patients, providers, and colleagues.

Remote Type

Remote

Work Location

399 Revolution Drive

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Employee Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

Pay Range

$25.50 - $36.49/Hourly

Grade

5At Mass General Brigham, we believe in recognizing and rewarding the unique value each team member brings to our organization. Our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and any offer extended will take into account your skills, relevant experience if applicable, education, certifications and other essential factors. The base pay information provided offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications; however, it does not encompass all elements contributing to your total compensation package. In addition to competitive base pay, we offer comprehensive benefits, career advancement opportunities, differentials, premiums and bonuses as applicable and recognition programs designed to celebrate your contributions and support your professional growth. We invite you to apply, and our Talent Acquisition team will provide an overview of your potential compensation and benefits package.

EEO Statement:

0100 Mass General Brigham Incorporated is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran's Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership "looks like" by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.