This year there are a lot of employment options, including public affairs gigs and management positions at provider-owned plans.
In Boston, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is hiring a public affairs manager, a newly created position to "lead new programs and activities designed to generate positive visibility and advance our relationships with key influencers throughout the Commonwealth, such as city/town public officials and business advocacy organizations, such as Chambers of Commerce."
Working under the company's public affairs director, the manager will also serve as spokesperson, so be prepared to deal with Boston's two daily newspapers and two public radio stations, and any changes spearheaded by Massachusetts' new governor, Charlie Baker, the former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim. Ten year's experience and a willingness to traverse the Commonwealth would be great, the job post states.
Rather be closer to the subtropical coast for weekends on the water, and work in new potentially disruptive kind of health plan?
In Clearwater, Florida, in greater Tampa, BayCare Health System is looking for a health insurance leader to take on day-to-day oversight of its BayCare Health Plan. The nonprofit health system created in 1997 has 10 community-based hospitals, a long-term acute care facility/acute-care" target="_blank" class="directory-item-link">acute care facility, home health services, outpatient centers and physician offices, and is trying to grow its health plan.
The position calls for development of new insurance strategies, including leading newly-licensed commercial and Medicare Advantage plans. The leader will also be tasked with collaborating with BayCare Physician Partners, a 1400+ member clinically integrated physician network to start a CMS Accountable Care Organization.
Up the East Coast, in Philadelphia the provider-owned managed care plan Health Partners -- sponsored by a group of seven Philadelphia area hospitals, including Temple Health -- is hiring a product manager with five or more years of experience. The position is responsible for "the development, maintenance and enhancement of new and existing" plans in Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP.
Pennsylvania's larges Medicaid managed care population is set to keep growing now that the state is expanding Medicaid eligibility. Greater Philadelphia is the state's largest market, the competition driven by the region's dominant insurer, Independence Blue Cross.
Back in New England, ICD-10 and tech gurus can find contract work with Colab Services, Inc, a New Jersey-based multi-industry consultancy founded by investors, and hiring in Boston. The position should have at least seven years project management experience, an understanding of HIPAA transactions and ICD-9/10 sets i Medicaid.
On the West Coast, the Health Plan of San Joaquin is looking for a CFO -- and the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer is recruiting near and far.
The CFO "provides fiscal responsibility while directing the strategic financial objectives of the health plan," a non-profit publicly-funded plan founded in 1996 that covers 280,000 area residents.
Based in greater Sacramento, the CFO will also be involved in "external financial relations with county and state entities, as well as collaborating with CFO's from other public plans in the state to influence the rate setting process," the post notes.
At Blue Shield of California, there are more than 150 openings, from entry level staff positions to vice president of pharmacy services, a San Francisco-based job with responsibility for a budget of $30 million.
UnitedHealth Group is also looking for a health policy specialist to work in Irvine or Sacramento, the position being focused on tracking legislation and regulations impacting OptumRx, the insurer's pharmacy benefits business.