Medical Economist/Health Data Analyst

About the position At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, we are a mission-driven organization dedicated to championing the health and well-being of our members and the communities we serve. Our team is the power behind that promise. And, as the industry rapidly evolves and we seek ways to optimize business processes and customer experiences, there’s no greater time for forward-thinking professionals like you to join us in delivering on it! As a member of Team Blue, you’ll find purpose, opportunities and the support you need to build a meaningful career and make a powerful impact in our community. The ideal candidate will live within driving distance of the Omaha, Nebraska office. This position allows remote flexibility but will have 2-3 days per week in the office. If living in one of our approved states (Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Texas) – possible occasional travel to our home office in Omaha, NE. The Medical Economist (Health Data Analyst III) serves on a highly collaborative Data Analytics team delivering health data analytics and informatics for groups, providers, members, and leadership. As a member of the team, you will act as an analytical subject matter expert in understanding and interpreting the business impacts of healthcare data. Your focus will be on extracting, preparing, analyzing, and interpreting data to provide actionable insights for internal and external stakeholders, while mentoring junior analysts. You will also lead economic modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis to support strategic decision-making and value-based care initiatives. Responsibilities • Healthcare Economics and Advanced Data Analytics Provide analytic solutions for enterprise stakeholders via reporting, research, predictive modeling, and BI dashboard development. • Develop and maintain models for utilization trends Partner with stakeholders to analyze trends in employer group reporting, provider payment methodologies, and care management analytics. • Gather business requirements, extract and prepare data independently, and deliver high-quality analysis for decision support. • Strategic Consulting & Collaboration Serve as a business consultant to multiple areas, leveraging deep understanding of data and operations. • Actively participate in brainstorming sessions, design reviews, and quality reviews to ensure best practices in analytics and data strategy. • Provide strategic input on data architecture and analytic standards. • Lead knowledge-sharing activities and contribute to the Data Integration Community of Practice. • Present analyses to internal and external stakeholders, translating complex data into clear, actionable insights. • Tell a compelling story with data to influence strategic decisions. Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Health Care Management, or related field (Master’s preferred). • 5+ years in healthcare analytics, medical economics, or actuarial analysis. • Data Access & Integration: Advanced SQL, ETL/ELT pipelines (Azure Data Factory, dbt), PySpark/Spark SQL. • Cloud & Platforms: Azure Synapse, Databricks, SQL Server; Git for version control. • Analytics & Econometrics: Python, R, cost-effectiveness analysis, risk adjustment, forecasting. • BI & Visualization: Power BI (DAX, Power Query), Databricks Dashboards, dashboard design, KPI development. • Data Governance: Data dictionaries, lineage, HIPAA compliance, quality checks. • Healthcare Domain Knowledge: Claims data, provider reimbursement models, value-based care, HEDIS/STARS metrics. • Mastery of Health Insurance Operations knowledge including claims, enrollment, payment mechanisms, care management, employer reporting and the ability to stay current on healthcare industry knowledge. • Successful experience working in a cross-functional environment. • Experience effectively communicating with stakeholder groups.