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Blue Shield of California

Medical Director, Behavioral Health

Blue Shield of California, Rancho Cordova, California, us, 95741


Your Role

The Medical Management team ensures that Blue Shield is on the cutting edge of medical, medication, and payment policy to accelerate the emergence of a value-based health care system in California. The Medical Director, Behavioral Health will report to the Senior Medical Director, Behavioral Health. In this role you will have core responsibilities in the areas of psychiatric inpatient concurrent review, pre- and post-service utilization review, and collaboration with Nurse Care Managers.

Your Work

In this role, you will:

Review pre- and post-service behavioral health service requests and render decisions based on the member's benefits, medical necessity, Blue Shield of California medical policy, FEP (Federal Employee Program) medical policy, as well as legal and regulatory requirements

Medical decision-making and support for the behavioral health review for all services currently requiring authorization or review, facilitating appropriate use of all resources, including safe and timely discharges

Engage in telephonic physician-to-physician discussions regarding current members in various levels of care or who may be receiving other specialized services. Therefore, the Medical Director must feel comfortable in clinical conversations with Blue Shield providers

Train BSC utilizations and care management staff which may include physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and others as needed

Perform clinical reviews to support utilization management and fraud waste and abuse case evaluations

Participate with the quality management function in the identification and analysis of medical information to develop interventions to improve quality of care and outcomes for our members

Participate on projects and committees, as necessary

Your Knowledge and ExperienceMinimum 5 years direct patient care behavioral health clinical experience post residency requiredMedical degree (M.D./D.O.)Completed residency in PsychiatryMaintain active, unrestricted California State Medical License required; Maintain active, unrestricted Medical License in all additional assigned states requiredMaintain Board Certification in Psychiatry through American Board of Psychology and Neurology (ABPN) or the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (AOBNP) requiredDeep knowledge of MHPAEA (Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act), SB855 and all regulatory and compliance requirementsPreferred Qualifications:Active recent inpatient psychiatric hospital experience (within the past five years) is desirableA minimum of 3 years of Health Plan experience in commercial, Medicare Advantage and Medi-Cal utilization management, case review, and/or quality improvement activities in a managed care setting is preferred but not required for this positionWell-versed with most areas of behavioral health services and conditions, show ability for rapid, accurate decision-making, and enjoy care review, as well as the investigation and resolution of complex issuesExperience with CPT coding, medical claims review, hospital billing, and reimbursement is a core competencyManaged care experience supporting utilization management of all levels in behavioral healthTypically has mastery level knowledge and skills within a specific technical or professional discipline with broad understanding of other areas within the job function

Pay Range:The pay range for this role is: $ 209091.00 to $ 330000.00 for California.Note:Please note that this range represents the pay range for this and many other positions at Blue Shield that fall into this pay grade. Blue Shield salaries are based on a variety of factors, including the candidate's experience, location (California, Bay area, or outside California), and current employee salaries for similar roles.#LI-SS8

Medical Director, Behavioral Health at Blue Shield of California summary:The Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Blue Shield plays a critical role in ensuring the quality and efficiency of mental health services. Responsibilities include overseeing pre- and post-service utilization reviews, collaborating with healthcare providers, and training care management staff to ensure compliance with medical policies. This position requires a strong background in psychiatry, hands-on experience with behavioral health services, and knowledge of healthcare regulations.

Keywords:Medical Director, Behavioral Health, Utilization Review, Mental Health Services, Healthcare Compliance, Psychiatry, Care Management, Quality Improvement, Telephonic Consultation, Patient Care