When looking for jobs for Case Managers most people look in the obvious places, hospitals, insurance companies, and Workers’ Compensation. But while they are the most popular places for case managers to work according to the 2022 Case Management Salary and Trends Survey (Cooper-Gillingham et al., 2022) that is also where everyone else is looking. This often makes it difficult to get an interview let alone a job offer. But by thinking outside the box and looking beyond these obvious places to find case management jobs you will have a better chance of finding your dream job.
What Case Managers Do
To know where to look for case management jobs you must first understand what a case manager does. Case managers help their clients/patients to meet their health and wellness goals in a safe, cost-effective manner.
They do this by
- Advocating for their clients
- Educating patients, families, caregivers, and members of the healthcare team
- Exploring treatment options
- Ensuring safe transitions of care
- Assessing patients, their support systems, and their social determinants of health (SDoH)
- Proactively assessing for barriers to meeting goals and coming up with interventions when necessary.
Case Management Job Duties
Case managers perform a variety of duties which makes it possible for them to find jobs in numerous settings and organizations. The job duties of the case manager differ depending on the setting they work in and may include:
- Care coordination
- Care planning
- Discharge planning
- Disease management
- Quality Improvement (QI)
- Utilization Review/Utilization Management
- Regulatory compliance
- Telephonic triage
- Direct patient care
- Research
A large part of the case manager’s job includes coordinating care for their clients. This includes:
- The transition from one level of care to another
- Home care: includes nursing, skilled and unskilled
- Durable Medical Equipment (DME)
- Medical appointments
- Outpatient therapies
- Social Services: food, housing, utility assistance
- Non-urgent or non-medical transportation to medical appointments
- Mental/Behavioral health care services
- Home infusion or home enteral therapy
- Specialty drugs and pharmacy items
Case Managers Work Settings
Because of what the case manager does, the wide variety of duties they perform, and the value they bring to the patient, organization, and healthcare team, case management is practiced in every sector of the healthcare system and beyond, including:
- Acute care includes hospitals, Long Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACHs), Rehabilitation Hospitals
- Long-term care such as Skilled Nursing Facilities, Nursing Homes, and Assisted Living
- Health Plans
- Managed Care
- Workers’ Compensation
- Accountable Care Organization
- Government/Military
- Outpatient/Clinic
- Community-Based Agency/Organization
- Behavioral/Mental Health
- Physician/Medical Group Practice
- Disease Management Company
- Patient-Centered Medical Home
- Independent/Private Practice
- Integrated Care Delivery System
- Home Care Agency/Organization
- Disability Management
- Hospice/Palliative Care
- Inpatient psychiatric facilities
- Occupational Health
- Auto Insurance
- Schools, Colleges, and Universities
- Corporations
It is important to not limit your search for a case management job to the healthcare industry. Companies such as Apple hire case managers who assist workers and sometimes even their families. Nonmedical insurance companies hire case managers to assist high-dollar medical claims.
Case Manager’s Work Environment
Case managers work in just about every environment. There is truly something for everyone!
- Medical offices such as doctor’s offices or Accountable Care Organization (ACO)
- The Field such as home health, hospice, or worker’s compensation
- Healthcare facilities such as hospitals, SNFs, and outpatient clinics
- Business offices such as insurance companies or occupational health in corporations.
- From their home
Conclusion
When looking for a case management job there are obvious places such as hospitals, insurance companies, and workers’ compensation. But by looking beyond these obvious case management jobs you are more likely to find the case management job that fits you best.
References
Cooper-Gillingham, D., Llewellyn, A., & Parker-Williams, L. (2022). Case Management Salary & Trends Survey Report. In A. Black (Ed.), Case Management Institute (pp. 11–12, 16). https://casemanagementinstitute.com/2022-case-management-salary-and-trends-survey/