Vice President & Head of Payer Strategy

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Summary

**This is a remote position, but must reside in the Northeast**

**Prior experience in a hospital system or urgent care environment is strongly preferred**

PM Pediatric Care is scaling a behavioral health platform to address the mental health crisis facing children and adolescents. We operate state-based clinical pods across New York, New Jersey, and Florida, with national expansion underway. Over the next 24 months, we are growing from 75K to 150K+ annual visits and $15M to $50M+ in revenue.

The VP & Head of Payer Strategy is the enterprise payer strategist and chief negotiator for PM Pediatric Care's Urgent Care and Behavioral Health service lines. This role owns national payer relationships, contract strategy, rate negotiations, multi-state expansion, and value-based partnership development. You will serve as the executive voice to Tier 1 payers, BCBS plans, Medicaid programs, and value-based care organizations.

You will operate at the intersection of clinical strategy, financial performance, and market access, translating clinical quality and patient outcomes into payer value propositions, negotiating contracts that balance network inclusion with financial sustainability, and building partnerships that position PM Pediatrics for long-term advantage.

Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer. Partners closely with: SVP Operations (Urgent Care and Behavioral Health), VP Clinical Programs, Finance/FP&A, and Revenue Cycle Management.

This is a high-visibility executive role with direct exposure to the CEO, Board of Directors, and national payer C-suites.

Description

Responsibilities

• National Payer Strategy & Tier 1 Relationship Leadership (Urgent   Care) —   40%
• Own strategic relationships with Tier 1   payers : UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Anthem/BCBS, and Humana; serve as executive liaison to payer leadership at the C-suite and senior VP levels
• Negotiate multi-year rate renewals, expand geographic coverage, and improve contract terms including facility fees, after-hours differentials, and coding/billing policies
• Lead escalation management:   resolve   contract disputes,   address   network adequacy issues, and   navigate   audit and compliance challenges
• Translate clinical quality, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness into compelling payer value propositions
• Analyze rate structures, benchmark against market, and   identify   opportunities for rate improvement
• Align contract strategy with operational footprint,   utilization   patterns, and market expansion plans in partnership with SVP Urgent Care Operations
• Behavioral Health Contract Expansion & Multi-State Market Entry — 35%
• Accelerate behavioral health payer contracting in NY, NJ, and FL, and lead payer entry into 6+ new states over   24 months
• Negotiate rates, terms, and coverage policies that support financial sustainability, with a target of $200K–$280K revenue per clinical FTE
• Lead payer credentialing and network inclusion strategy for therapists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric NPs across multiple states; drive credentialing cycle time to under   45 days
• Navigate state-specific contracting landscapes including Medicaid managed care, state employee health plans, regional commercial payers, and telehealth reimbursement policies
• Leverage urgent care relationships to unlock behavioral health contracting opportunities using an integrated care value proposition
• Design and execute a behavioral health payer entry playbook covering market landscaping, contract negotiation sequencing, credentialing project management, and post-contract optimization
• Value-Based Care & Strategic Partnership Development — 20%
• Evaluate and build value-based care partnerships: shared savings, bundled payments, quality incentive programs, and outcomes-based contracts
• Lead strategic payer pilots including integrated care models, SDOH collaborations, pediatric behavioral health integration, and alternative reimbursement models
• Design clinical-financial frameworks for value-based arrangements, including quality metrics, financial risk models, and performance monitoring
• Model upside/downside scenarios for value-based contracts in partnership with Finance and Clinical Leadership
• Position PM Pediatrics for emerging payment models: CMS Innovation Center initiatives, Medicaid value-based purchasing, and payer-provider SDOH collaborations
• Identify   strategic payer partnership opportunities beyond traditional contracting, including data sharing, care coordination platforms, and referral network integrations

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Required
• Payer Strategy & Contracting
• 10+ years in healthcare payer strategy, network contracting, or health plan partnerships with progressive responsibility
• 5+ years in senior leadership roles (VP, SVP, or Director-level) with direct accountability for payer negotiations, contract performance, or network strategy
• Proven   track record   of building and   leveraging   executive-level relationships with UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Anthem/BCBS, Humana, or equivalent Tier 1 payers
• Direct experience negotiating multi- million dollar   payer contracts with measurable results: rate improvements, contract wins, revenue growth
• Multi-Site & Multi-State Healthcare
• Experience in multi-site healthcare settings: urgent care, behavioral health, outpatient specialty, or retail healthcare
• Multi-state contracting experience including Medicaid managed care, telehealth reimbursement policies, and regional BCBS plans
• Provider credentialing   expertise : CAQH, payer enrollment processes, and multi-state licensure requirements
• Financial & Analytical Skills
• Strong financial modeling: contract rate analysis, market benchmarking, revenue impact modeling, and value-based care financial risk assessment
• Comfort with payer analytics, claims data,   utilization   reports, and contract performance dashboards
• P&L orientation:   demonstrated   ability to translate payer strategy into revenue growth, margin improvement, and payer mix optimization
• Value-Based Care & Strategic Partnerships
• Experience designing or negotiating value-based arrangements: shared savings, bundled payments, quality incentives,   outcomes -based contracts, or population health models
• Familiarity with clinical quality metrics: HEDIS, NCQA, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness
• Strategic partnership development beyond traditional contracting: SDOH collaborations, pilot programs, innovation initiatives
• Leadership & Communication
• Executive presence: ability to build credibility with payer C-suites, internal executives, and board members
• Proven negotiation skills in complex, multi-party situations
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills for executive reporting and board-level updates
• Ability to lead cross-functionally across Operations, Clinical, Finance, and RCM without direct authority
• Preferred
• Industry Background
• Urgent care contracting experience: reimbursement models, facility fees, coding/billing policies
• Behavioral health contracting: therapist/psychiatrist reimbursement, telehealth policies, outcomes-based contracting
• Pediatric healthcare: pediatric care models, family-centered care, pediatric quality metrics
• Additional Qualifications