Patient Access Specialist

Role overview

Inizio Engage works in long-term partnership with a major biotechnology company spanning commercial, patient solutions, and medical affairs functions. The Patient Access Specialist (PAS) Team Leader plays a key role on the AstraZeneca Patient Support Operations team, helping patients and healthcare providers throughout the United States understand how they can obtain medication through reimbursement and affordability support.

This position is centered on identifying the right access route, sharing information and resources that remove barriers to treatment, and keeping communication flowing smoothly across internal teams and external partners. The role also includes monitoring calls, giving prompt feedback to call center communicators, contributing ideas for process improvements, and supporting the management team with monthly program metrics. The Team Leader is expected to model compliance and consistently reflect the organization’s values of quality, integrity, innovation, accountability, collaboration, and leadership.

What you will do

• Maintain high standards for quality and productivity across client programs while following scripts and operating guidelines.
• Oversee daily support activity for patients and healthcare providers across multiple channels such as phone, fax, chat, and email, accounting for about half of the work time.
• Ensure every support request is accurately recorded in the case management system.
• Act as a program resource who can answer team questions quickly and accurately.
• Carry out quality monitoring of calls as assigned by program leadership.
• Identify problems and route them to the appropriate leadership contacts.
• Resolve cases promptly while meeting required productivity and quality standards.
• Escalate complex cases when needed.
• Coordinate each patient case through completion using strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Guide healthcare providers and patients through patient support programs and referral steps so cases move forward without delay.
• Communicate with payers, pharmacies, third-party administrators, and internal departments as needed.
• Perform detailed research into medication coverage, including benefit investigations, prior authorization support, appeals, and related assistance programs.
• Support quality monitoring activities.
• Follow all compliance rules, including program guidelines, HIPAA, and patient privacy requirements.

What you need

• A high school diploma is required.
• An associate degree or bachelor’s degree is preferred, or equivalent experience in healthcare or healthcare reimbursement of 1 to 2 years.
• Practical knowledge of health insurance and prescription reimbursement processes.
• Strong understanding of HIPAA and privacy obligations, with a consistent commitment to confidentiality.
• Prior exposure to adverse event reporting and product quality complaint reporting is preferred.
• Ability to work within program business rules, standard operating procedures, and internal guidance.
• Strong case management and customer service capabilities.
• Excellent people skills and professional communication.
• Active listening, sound judgment, and creative problem-solving.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Genuine interest in learning and sharing knowledge with others.
• Ability to collaborate across functions and contribute effectively to a team.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Self-driven approach with a strong sense of urgency.
• Comfort handling multiple priorities at the same time.
• Solid planning and organizational ability.
• Flexibility to adapt quickly in a changing environment.
• Ability to work successfully in a dynamic, culturally diverse workplace.

Compensation and benefits

The hourly pay range for this role is from $11.90 to $22.10. Final pay will depend on experience, skills, internal equity, and business requirements.

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; accrued paid time off; a 401(k) plan with company match; disability and life insurance; paid maternity and paternity leave; and company-paid holidays. The organization also offers recognition programs, contests, awards, and ongoing learning and leadership development opportunities. The work environment is collaborative and values employee input.

About the employer

Inizio Engage is a healthcare-focused strategic, commercial, and creative engagement partner. Its global team combines local insight with data, science, and technology to create customized engagement solutions that help clients improve how they connect with patients, payers, healthcare professionals, and providers. The company’s mission is to support better treatment outcomes by helping people access the medicines, information, and support they need.

The company states its values as: empowering everyone, rising to the challenge, working as one, asking “what if,” and doing the right thing.

Equal opportunity, accommodations, and hiring policy

Inizio Engage is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available in accordance with law. The company follows fair chance hiring practices and may conduct background checks where legally permitted. Any background-check results are reviewed only as relevant to the job requirements and in line with applicable law.

Interview policy

Candidates are expected to complete interview activities without using artificial intelligence tools or outside assistance unless the employer has authorized such help in advance or it is required by law. This includes using generative AI tools to draft, edit, or guide responses in real time. Candidates may be asked to confirm that they have followed this rule, and a violation may lead to removal from consideration. Requests for reasonable accommodation can be directed to the Talent Acquisition team.