Medical case manager vs case management specialist

The differences between medical case managers and case management specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a medical case manager, becoming a case management specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical case manager has an average salary of $42,432, which is higher than the $41,553 average annual salary of a case management specialist.

The top three skills for a medical case manager include patients, rehabilitation and care coordination. The most important skills for a case management specialist are patients, social work, and mental health.

Medical case manager vs case management specialist overview

	Medical Case Manager	Case Management Specialist
Yearly salary	$42,432	$41,553
Hourly rate	$20.40	$19.98
Growth rate	28%	12%
Number of jobs	85,820	153,985
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	6	12

What does a medical case manager do?

The primary role of a Medical Case Manager is to monitor the patients treatment plan to ensure that physicians are doing their jobs properly. They are also responsible for improving the quality of patient services, increasing revenue, analyzing the information gathered by investigations, and reporting recommendations.

What does a case management specialist do?

In healthcare facilities, a case management specialist is in charge of ensuring that patients get quality service. Their responsibilities often include handling admission and discharge procedures, preparing and processing documents, gathering and organizing patient information, and developing strategies to optimize case management operations. There are also instances where they must address patient concerns and issues, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a case management specialist, it is essential to function while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.

Medical case manager vs case management specialist salary

Medical case managers and case management specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Case Manager	Case Management Specialist
Average salary	$42,432	$41,553
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $67,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Walnut Creek, CA	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	AIG	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Insurance	Technology

Differences between medical case manager and case management specialist education

There are a few differences between a medical case manager and a case management specialist in terms of educational background:

	Medical Case Manager	Case Management Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	SUNY at Binghamton

Medical case manager vs case management specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical case managers' and case management specialists' demographics:

	Medical Case Manager	Case Management Specialist
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2%	Male, 19.6% Female, 80.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	12%	11%

Differences between medical case manager and case management specialist duties and responsibilities

Medical case manager example responsibilities.

Provide clients support with basic ADL's (shopping, payee services, budgets, managing and attending appointments).
Facilitate rehabilitation plans with TPA/Provider/Treatment team to provide professional case management services to catastrophically injure patients after auto injury.
Collaborate with inpatient medical team and case management department to promote effective discharge planning and utilization management of hospitalize patients.
Coordinate medical management and vocational rehabilitation.
Attend weekly DHS case conferences to ensure client compliance and progress with obtaining and securing permanent housing.
Report, maintain, and update case data, goal attainment, and outcomes into the HMIS system.

Case management specialist example responsibilities.

Manage caseload by providing care coordination to individuals with a primary intellectual/developmental disability diagnosis all of whom receive community-base waiver services.
Provide case management to give emergency financial assistance to veterans and their families during a financial crisis.
Complete admission, stay and discharge reviews utilizing Interqual criteria to evaluate medical necessity as indicated by corporate standards.
Fax documents to skil nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.
Perform psycho-social management, intervention, advocacy, and referral services for patients and significant others.
Supervise in educating patients and direct care staff about self-management of chronic illness tailoring instructions to patient's individual circumstances.

Medical case manager vs case management specialist skills

Common medical case manager skills

Patients, 18%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Care Coordination, 7%
Social Work, 6%
Home Health, 6%
Customer Service, 6%

Common case management specialist skills

Patients, 19%
Social Work, 15%
Mental Health, 8%
Community Resources, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

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Medical Case Manager
Medical Case Manager vs Case Management Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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