Job Responsibilities
While employed at Magellan, I held 3 different positions that
basically did the same thing. The company "re-organized" the
workforce to handle the LARGE influx of companies that bought
our services. In all the positions, having customer service
experience was a real plus. All the work is done over the phone.
However, all the customers were benefit eligible members from
across the country. They were also the providers that may or may
not have been on the "provider panel". So if you like talking on
the phone (wearing headsets) for 8 hours, and dealing with a
rather demanding "public", you've got a start. Secondly, by the
time I got that job, I had 15 years of post graduate experience
in the field as a provider (counselor). I was very grateful for
all my experience. It helped me fit the right product to the
customer. I was also very well versed in the diagnosis and
symptoms of mental health illnesses. That was also a must for
this job. The majority of one's time in this position is
staffing with the various providers (hospitals, psychiatrists,
psychologists, social workers)about the client's need to either
get into the hospital/treatment, or to stay for additional
treatment.
The job required attending to many many small details-
constantly. We kept our own client list using Access, and this
list changed daily. There were many details about legalities of
benefit usage, limitations,and loopholes. Consulting with any
one of the company lawyers was routine protocol. When not
hearing provider reviews, we were negotiating with providers
about the cost of having them on our panel-what the company
would pay-not what they expected to be paid. The job is not for
one afraid to speak out and stand firm. Negotiation, leaving
ultimatums and denials were also a part of the daily
requirements. The job was salaried, and required a state
license. Depending on which job I was in, the job could take as
little as 8 or as much as 10-11 hours/day.
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Job Requirements
As stated above, this particular managed care firm would not
hire a case manager unless they had 5 years of post graduate
experience and a state license. They did hire RN's who were
versed in mental health nursing, and they only needed 3 years
experience.
As I also stated above, the more experience one had before
entering that position, the better prepared one was for the
tremendous amount of knowledge needed for that job. Even with my
15 years of experience, I learned an incredible amount while
there. The MD's that we had to staff with were great teachers
(most of the time).
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Uppers
The best parts of the job for me were: 1)learning that NOTHING is written in
stone-EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE. I learned great negotiating skills. 2)You will
NEVER have a more stressful job than working in that sect of health care. I had 6
levels above my position and ALL THEY TALKED ABOUT every day-was how to get the
patient's/client's out of treatment sooner-especially if the client was
inpatient. I have never felt more pressure in any other position I held before or
since than I did at that one. I worked there 4 years, and will say to this day,
that if I had been handed a pencil and was told to do brain surgery on the
president, it would have been less pressure than working in that arena of health
care. 3) Several of my colleagues went on to higher positions within the company.
Opportunities for advancement were available and realistic. The question one
should ask themselves is whether they will be able to handle the pressure. I was
unable to sustain it. I left the company when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia
and Chronic Fatigue.
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Downers
Not sure if this is an upper or downer, but one needs to be able
to really MULTITASK. At any given time during the workday, while
sitting in your cubicle talking to one provider on the phone,
you will have several different cases in front of you at various
stages of processing; they could be paging you over the PA
system for an incoming call that could be a case emergency, and
several people could be standing outside your cubicle waiting to
ask you about another case. If you are highly distractable, or
rigidly compulsive about sense of order, or the social butterfly
type, this job is not for you.
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Lifestyle
As stated above, the job was an 8-5 job. The dress varied from very dressed
(when the company was courting another company and would invite them to visit) to
"casual"(nice bluejeans)Fridays. The environment is very fast paced, and
nonsocial. People only talk about work the entire time there. The facilities were
state of the art-all the latest in technology (from voice mail, copiers, and
computers). The facilities were modern and gorgeous. It is the highest pressure
position I have every worked in and I have worked in all levels of mental health
care.
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Compensation
Because the company was so large and expanded so quickly (it
went from having 500 employees to 2000 in 3 years)-the benefits
were excellent. There was every type of benefit available.
The salary is very good for the position. I never felt like I
should be paid more for what I did. There is lots of money is
this area of healthcare-its benefit management!!!
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Advice to Jobseekers
This particular company burns people out very quickly-so there
is a very high turnover rate. I think this is true for the
industry in general. Additionally, I was in that sect of
healthcare (managed care) when it was an up and coming area.
Since 1998-the demand for this area has decreased significantly.
All providers across this country are now very accustomed to
managed care and have found a way around it. It is not as
glamorous an area as it once was.
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