Last Updated on September 25, 2026 by Justin Bryant
Optum is hiring a nationally remote Pharmacy Care Coordinator to prepare specialty-drug prior authorization requests, review clinical documents, check insurance information, and track cases through completion. The full-time job pays $18 to $32 per hour, can be performed from anywhere in the United States, and requires no travel.
This is a relatively accessible healthcare administration lead, but it is not a no-experience job. Optum requires a high school diploma or GED, at least one year of customer service experience, intermediate Microsoft Office and email skills, and open weekday availability within a 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time window. Pharmacy, healthcare, and prior authorization experience are preferred rather than required. The official application was active when checked on September 25, 2026.
What Is Optum?
Optum is a UnitedHealth Group company that combines healthcare services, data, and technology. The company says it helps individuals receive care and also supports organizations that provide or pay for healthcare.
This Pharmacy Care Coordinator opening focuses on specialty prior authorizations for patients with acute and chronic conditions. Although the public career page sits on UnitedHealth Group's website, the role description identifies Optum as the hiring business.
Pay and Benefits
Optum lists an hourly range of $18-$32, based on full-time employment. The company says location, education, experience, certifications, and other factors can affect the final offer.
The official listing names these benefits and programs, subject to eligibility:
- Paid time off that begins accruing with the first pay period
- Eight paid holidays
- Medical plan options and health spending or health savings accounts
- Dental and vision coverage
- Life, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage
- 401(k) savings plan and employee stock purchase plan
- Education reimbursement
- Employee discounts and an employee assistance program
- Referral bonus program
- Voluntary benefits such as pet, legal, and long-term-care insurance
The posting does not state employee premium costs, the retirement contribution formula, equipment details, or a home-office stipend. Candidates should confirm those terms before accepting an offer.
Job Highlight: Pharmacy Care Coordinator
This coordinator helps move specialty medication prior authorizations through the review process. The work includes starting requests, collecting and checking supporting clinical records, validating insurance types, using internal systems to review benefits and case status, recording notes, and following unresolved issues through escalation.
The listing emphasizes documentation, insurance research, quality assurance, and coordination with internal departments. It does not specify a daily phone volume or call-center target, but professional communication and customer service are required. Because the posting does not rule out calls, this role should not be described as no-phone.
Key Responsibilities
- Start specialty prior authorization requests
- Review clinical documentation and provider submission preferences
- Validate Medicaid, Medicare, commercial, and other insurance types
- Use Optum systems to check authorization status and benefits
- Enter accurate notes and information in the pharmacy processing system
- Obtain supporting documents and follow up on authorization outcomes
- Resolve issues with urgency and escalate them to operations partners, team leads, managers, or other stakeholders
- Support patients and providers by tracking escalations through completion
- Maintain a detail-oriented focus on patient care and quality assurance
- Balance multiple priorities within the required weekday availability window
Qualifications
Optum requires:
- A high school diploma or GED
- At least one year of customer service experience
- Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and email
- Ability to work full time with open availability between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Central Time
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and establish priorities
- Professional and diplomatic communication during conflict
- Strong attention to detail and consistent quality
- General knowledge of pharmacy laws, practices, and procedures
- Knowledge of insurance and third-party billing systems
The listing prefers prior authorization experience, a pharmacy technician license, and pharmacy or healthcare experience. Those items are not listed as required, which makes the role more accessible than many specialty-pharmacy jobs, but applicants should still show how their customer service, documentation, insurance, billing, or healthcare experience transfers.
Resume Keywords
Use these terms only when they truthfully match your background:
- Prior authorization
- Specialty pharmacy
- Clinical documentation
- Insurance verification
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Commercial insurance
- Pharmacy processing systems
- Benefits research
- Case status tracking
- Data entry
- Quality assurance
- Patient support
- Provider support
- Issue escalation
- Customer service
- Third-party billing
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Email communication
- Multitasking
Useful resume bullets can show the volume of cases or records handled, accuracy rates, turnaround times, customer-service results, claims or benefits problems resolved, and examples of protecting sensitive information.
Location and Schedule
Optum says the employee can telecommute from anywhere within the United States, subject to UnitedHealth Group's telecommuter policy. The posting lists no travel.
The role is full time and non-exempt. Applicants must have open availability for a schedule falling between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. The listing does not identify the exact assigned shift, training schedule, weekend or holiday expectations, overtime policy, equipment, internet requirements, or whether the role requires occasional calls. Those details should be confirmed during the interview process.
Closing Notes
This opening may fit someone with a high school diploma or GED and at least one year of customer service who can document cases carefully, learn pharmacy and insurance workflows, and work a full-time weekday schedule. Its strongest advantages are nationwide eligibility, clear hourly pay, benefits, no travel, and the fact that pharmacy credentials are preferred rather than mandatory.
The biggest catches are the broad 12-hour Central Time availability window and the healthcare-specific knowledge expected in the soft-skills section. Applicants should also confirm the actual shift, equipment, training, and communication channels. The exact official requisition is 2385059, and the application was last checked on September 25, 2026.
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