Utilization Management Reviewer - Behavioral Health

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Inc.; Hingham (MA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k)

Job summary

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, a leading not-for-profit health plan, seeks a Clinical Utilization Reviewer to facilitate care for members with complex needs and to authorize services at the right level of care. The role emphasizes independent work, collaboration with clinicians, and adherence to medical policies to promote efficient, high-quality member care.

Responsibilities include pre-certification, concurrent and retrospective reviews at inpatient programs, discharge planning

Qualifications

• Solid clinical knowledge in Behavioral Health.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong problem-solving ability under pressure of timeliness turnaround deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills; able to discuss sensitive information professionally.
• Proven customer service skills.
• Intermediate ease of use with computers and common software (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to work as part of a team while completing independent workload.

Responsibilities

• Conduct pre-certification and concurrent and retrospective clinical reviews of inpatient cases using evidence-based criteria and BCBSMA policies.
• Focus on efficient utilization management with emphasis on discharge planning.
• Understand and manage members' benefits to maximize health care quality.
• Collaborate with physicians, case managers and staff to optimize member care.
• Communicate with members, families and providers to obtain/share information about benefits and utilization management.

Job description

Ready to help us transform healthcare? Bring your true colors to blue.

The Role

The Clinical Utilization Reviewer is responsible for facilitating care for members who may have complex healthcare needs, authorizing medically necessary services at the right level of care to promote optimal health. This position is self-directed and works independently and collaboratively to facilitate care using clinical skills, principles of managed care, nationally recognized medical necessity criteria, and company medical policies to conduct reviews that promote efficient and medically appropriate use of the member’s benefit to provide the best quality care.

The Team

The Clinical Utilization Reviewer is part of a highly dedicated and motivated team of professionals, including medical and behavioral health care managers, dieticians, pharmacist, clinicians, medical directors and more, who collaborate to facilitate care.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct pre-certification and concurrent and retrospective clinical review of in-state and out-of-state inpatient cases at acute residential treatment programs and partial hospitalization through the application of evidence-based medical necessity criteria and BCBSMA policies and procedures
• Focus on efficient utilization management with emphasis on discharge planning
• Understand and appropriately manages member's benefits to maximize health care quality
• Collaborate with physician reviewers, case managers, project leaders and associates within BCBSMA to optimize member care and ensure a constructive provider experience
• Facilitate review process by communication with members/families, providers, medical staff and/or others to obtain and/or share information relating to benefits and the BCBSMA utilization management process
• Collaborate with members/families, providers, medical staff and/or other members of the treatment team to coordinate and support health action plans developed by providers that include treatment goals, interventions, and expected clinical outcomes and that support quality and medical management goals and objectives
• Educate and support members/families regarding benefits, eligibility, BCBSMA policies and processes with the goal to empower self-advocacy
• Identify and refer members who may benefit from high-risk case management and disease state management intervention
• Maintain professional licensure and seeks out continuous learning opportunities to enhance understanding of clinical management, trends in patient care, utilization management and other topics applicable to carrying out job responsibilities in an educated manner
• Utilize the computer systems to efficiently enter case information, check benefits and eligibility, look up policy and procedures, validate provider contractual status and other functions relating to the execution of key responsibilities
• Exhibit customer satisfaction orientation in every aspect of carrying out responsibilities
• Meet or exceed annual performance goal of 90% cumulatively for case audits and recorded call audits, where applicable.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by management

Key Qualifications

• Solid clinical knowledge in Behavioral Health.
• Specialty knowledge a plus
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to manage multiple ongoing tasks
• Strong problem-solving ability under pressure of timeliness turnaround deadlines
• Excellent communication skills. Able to discuss sensitive/ confidential information in a professional, unbiased manner
• Proven customer service skills
• Intermediate ease of use with computers and a working understanding of common computer software such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
• Ability to integrate as part of a working team, and function independently to complete assigned workload
• Achieve a passing score on the yearly InterQual
• Behavioral Health professional with an active Massachusetts license: Registered Nurse, LICSW, LMHC, BCBA
• 3-5 years of clinical experience in Behavioral Health Care settings
• Utilization Management experience preferred CCM or other applicable certification(s) desirable

Education and Experience

Behavioral Health professional with an active Massachusetts license: Registered Nurse, LICSW, LMHC, BCBA. 3-5 years of clinical experience in Behavioral Health Care settings. Utilization Management experience preferred CCM or other applicable certification(s) desirable.

Minimum Education Requirements

High school degree or equivalent required unless otherwise noted above

Location

Hingham

Time Type

Full time

Hourly Range

$38.82 - $47.44 The job posting range is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs and affordability.

Benefits

We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and a suite of well-being benefits to eligible employees.

Compensation Note

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, we believe in wellness and that work/life balance is a key part of associate wellbeing. For more information on how we work and support that work/life balance visit our "How We Work" Page.

Voted as the highest in member satisfaction among Massachusetts commercial health plans by JD Power, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We have been a market leader for over 75 years, and are consistently ranked among the nation's best health plans. Our daily efforts are dedicated to effectively serving our 2.8 million members, and consistently offering security, stability, and peace of mind to both our members and associates.

Our Commitment to You

We are committed to investing in your development and providing the necessary resources to enable your success. We are dedicated to creating a refreshing and rewarding workplace that promotes excellence and provides opportunities for employees to forge their unique career path. We take pride in our diverse, community-centric, wellness-focused culture and believe every member of our team deserves to enjoy a positive work-life balance.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an Equal Employment Employer - veterans/disability. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by law. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’s legal duty to furnish information.