
Case Management Is… Series: Part 7
Case Management: A Social Worker’s Perspective When people first hear the words “Case Management,” they generally think of discharge planning. However, case management is more in-depth and involved than just discharge planning. There are multiple layers to case management that include utilization review, utilization management, connecting resources for patients, and patient education. At the same […]

Case Management Is… Series: Part 6
What is Case Management? What is case management…if we are honest with ourselves, the answer changes depending on the day. Case management is advocacy, empowerment, facilitating autonomy, and assisting people in attaining their goals whether medically or personally. Case management can be a whirlwind of excitement, frustration, fulfillment, and reward all in the same day. […]

Case Management Is… Series: Part 5
What is care management? I work as a Transitions of Care CM for a Medicaid MCO in Kentucky, the 46th poorest state in the US. To me, care management is helping a member who has been beaten by a boyfriend after having a stroke find stable, safe housing. It is helping an infant who was […]

Case Management Is… Series: Part 4
What is Case Management? I have tried to answer this question many times over the span of my career. Due to the ever-changing healthcare environment in which we live, the answer seems to get more complex every year. How can something so complex with so many moving pieces be explained? If you are a leader […]

Case Management Is… Series: Part 3
Case management is the lighthouse in the night shining a path to protect patients from running aground in the dark. Case management is the eye of the hurricane, where an overwhelmed and exhausted patient or family can breathe for a moment, focus, and get support for a plan to confidently re-enter the storm. Case Management […]

Case Management Is… Series: Part 2
Case Management is…meeting a hiker on a mountain in the wilderness who has a sprained ankle, no flashlight, and is running out of water – and figuring out how to best get them back to safety using the skills and resources they already have — while also assessing the situation and finding additional supports and […]

Case Management Is… Series: Part 1
The Case Manager Written by Carolyn G Dunbar MSN RN Case Manager The Job of a case manager To others is sometimes hard to describe Because we can take care of our Clients With dignity, without actually standing by their side Because in the healthcare field If you’re not specifically hands on Others […]

Why Do Insurance Companies Lay Off Case Managers and How You Can Reduce the Risk
But first, you have to get the job!
Insurance companies hire based on the number of contracts they have. If they feel they will win new contracts and need more nurses for CM or UM or other positions, they will post for these positions.
If they get the contract they will hire. If they don’t get the contract they will stop the hiring process immediately. That is why many case managers get through the interview process thinking all went well, only to be told the position is not being filled.
Many of the very large companies that hire work from home case management positions all over the country have smaller “departments” or “lines of business”. So while one may be hiring, another may be laying off because they lost a contract. And while you would think they would just move people from one “department” to another. Often that is not the case, and those laid off will have to “reapply” for other positions.

Understanding the enemy: A curated list of COVID-19 resources for case managers!
Case managers are struggling. Preliminary results from over 5,900
CCMs in our recent “Checking in With Our CCMs” survey reveals some of the burdens
our case managers carry, and it’s eye-opening.
We’re not that surprised by the results on the professional side. Most case managers
are working remotely (57%) and have limited contact with clients and patients (55%).
Some, however, have been called upon to work on the frontlines. Regardless, many
(40%) are fielding more questions than ever from clients and patients.

Mentorship: Sharing the Knowledge, Supporting Each Other
Almost every case manager can point to at least one person who helped them along their professional development journey, and many have, in turn, developed others through mentorship.
Successful mentoring relationships are marked by mutual respect, clear expectations, personal connection, and shared values. In most cases, both mentor and mentee gain from the relationship, and many mentorships translate into lifelong friendships.
Our mentors support us and motivate us, even and especially when the going gets tough. But what if we could find a way to bottle up some of that important advice and those encouraging words and share it to help others? We can!