Managed care coordinator vs medical director

The differences between managed care coordinators and medical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a managed care coordinator and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $40,176 average annual salary of a managed care coordinator.

The top three skills for a managed care coordinator include patients, social work and home health. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Managed care coordinator vs medical director overview

	Managed Care Coordinator	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$40,176	$230,317
Hourly rate	$19.32	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	84,786	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a managed care coordinator do?

Managed care coordinators handle various operational and medical issues for a health care facility or insurance company. Their duties include ensuring effective communication between medical facilities, patients, and insurance companies, handling medical files and documentation requests, and communicating with physicians and other health care professionals to process referrals and authorize services. In addition, they are responsible for maintaining managed care contracts and preparing reports, and working closely with care management members to assess health needs and facilitate services.

What does a medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Managed care coordinator vs medical director salary

Managed care coordinators and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Managed Care Coordinator	Medical Director
Average salary	$40,176	$230,317
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $60,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Alaska
Best paying company	St. John's Episcopal Hospital	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between managed care coordinator and medical director education

There are a few differences between a managed care coordinator and a medical director in terms of educational background:

	Managed Care Coordinator	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Managed care coordinator vs medical director demographics

Here are the differences between managed care coordinators' and medical directors' demographics:

	Managed Care Coordinator	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 15.8% Female, 84.2%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between managed care coordinator and medical director duties and responsibilities

Managed care coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage ICD-9 coding and DRG validation for high volume of claims.
Ensure all clinical operations comply with Medicare and Medicaid guidelines and other manage care policies.
Manage caseload by providing care coordination to individuals with a primary intellectual/developmental disability diagnosis all of whom receive community-base waiver services.
Adhere to all state, accreditation standards and regulatory guidelines which include HIPAA guidelines and NCQA accreditation.
Enter and approve authorizations for patients being discharge from hospitals to a sub- acute rehabilitation facility or a skil nursing facility.
Review ICD-9 and HCPCS codes to insure proper coding used on claims.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Managed care coordinator vs medical director skills

Common managed care coordinator skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 15%
Home Health, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Discharge Planning, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Common medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

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Managed Care Coordinator
Managed Care Coordinator vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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