Patient care manager vs managed care director

The differences between patient care managers and managed care 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 patient care manager and a managed care director. Additionally, a managed care director has an average salary of $84,817, which is higher than the $65,369 average annual salary of a patient care manager.

The top three skills for a patient care manager include home health, patients and quality care. The most important skills for a managed care director are patients, patient care, and social work.

Patient care manager vs managed care director overview

	Patient Care Manager	Managed Care Director
Yearly salary	$65,369	$84,817
Hourly rate	$31.43	$40.78
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	123,652	93,987
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a patient care manager do?

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

What does a managed care director do?

A managed care director is responsible for providing quality care services for the patients by supervising clinical operations and managing medical staff. Managed care directors review all the medical activities in the institution and disseminate communications across the organization. They coordinate with health care providers, negotiate contracts with suppliers and medical organizations, verify insurance details, analyze financial transactions, and implement policies for strict compliance. A managed care director must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling the department's performance and strategizing to improve services.

Patient care manager vs managed care director salary

Patient care managers and managed care directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Manager	Managed Care Director
Average salary	$65,369	$84,817
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $117,000	Between $53,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Edison, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Accenture	Sanofi Genzyme
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care manager and managed care director education

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

	Patient Care Manager	Managed Care Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient care manager vs managed care director demographics

Here are the differences between patient care managers' and managed care directors' demographics:

	Patient Care Manager	Managed Care Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%	Male, 28.5% Female, 71.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient care manager and managed care director duties and responsibilities

Patient care manager example responsibilities.

Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Direct oversight of all case management and education relate to chronic disease and primary care management.
Utilize resources such as financial and pharmacy assistance for uninsure patients to receive professional medical care upon discharge.
Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions using keen assessment skills and redirecting to PCP's office when appropriate.
Ensure compliance both with HIPAA and CMS, to include all audits and enrollments via Medicare.
Plant and maintain flower beds such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.

Managed care director example responsibilities.

Manage FTE and MH per stat numbers compare to budget.
Manage dialysis, rehabilitation contact, nursing agency contracts and staff competencies.
Lead business unit through successful JCAHO accreditation survey process with unprecedent results.
Provide technical assistance and testimony for development and passage of legislation enabling implementation of Medicaid manage care.
Provide patients with Thai yoga massage and energetic healing.
Show compassion and empathy for families, residents and staff.

Patient care manager vs managed care director skills

Common patient care manager skills

Home Health, 15%
Patients, 12%
Quality Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Community Resources, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

Common managed care director skills

Patients, 12%
Patient Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Quality Care, 6%
Oversight, 5%
Care Management, 4%

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Executive Management Industry
Patient Care Manager
Patient Care Manager vs Managed Care Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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