Rare Disease Family Access Manager - Northern New England

Role Summary

Based in Northern New England, the Family Access Manager (FAM) is the patient-facing expert on the Rare Disease (Friedreich's Ataxia) patient journey and acts as a liaison for Biogen teams. The FAM engages cross-functional stakeholders to support patients starting and remaining on rare disease therapies, and addresses logistical and non-clinical barriers to treatment initiation and ongoing care. They understand the HCP prescribing account, the administration site of care, and the payer approval processes at the patient level, and provide patient education, reimbursement guidance, disease-state and product information, advocacy, and caregiver support, serving as the primary local/regional patient advocacy contact.

Responsibilities

• Support patients and families to navigate steps to gain access to therapy, including disease and product education, site of care coordination, payer policy and procedures, and other support services
• Advocate for patients in cross-functional meetings with internal partners to build and maintain accurate case plans (case histories, insurance, ongoing coverage needs, treatment plan changes, etc.)
• Collaborate across functions to identify and resolve patient access barriers such as insurance coverage, reimbursement, financial constraints, site of care, and procurement/distribution issues
• Work with Market Access & Reimbursement teams to ensure appropriate reimbursement; engage payers, specialty pharmacies, and distributors to ensure access
• Provide strong emotional support for individuals living with rare diseases and their loved ones/caregivers and collaborate with them to enable forward progress
• Be knowledgeable of changes in the patient access environment to proactively identify issues that may impact access and communicate information appropriately to patients/caregivers
• Complete a comprehensive assessment of the individual needs of the patient considering the patient’s family and healthcare providers, including payer policies, plan designs (including Medicaid where applicable), and the local healthcare system
• Develop and offer solutions to the family, including alternative insurance options and how families can connect to available resources
• Educate patients, families, and caregivers on product and Biogen patient services
• Develop activities to increase openness and understanding of rare disease
• Build a rare disease network/relationships through local advocacy groups, events, and national conferences
• Become an expert on the Rare Disease portfolio and Biogen resources to provide the highest level of patient/caregiver support and positively impact the patient journey

Qualifications

• Required: 5+ years’ business experience in the healthcare or biotech industry with at least 3 years field-based experience in account management, sales, and/or field reimbursement. Rare disease experience is preferred.
• Required: A successful record in field reimbursement, clinical education or in pharmaceutical sales/management of products that required significant payer and reimbursement involvement
• Required: Experience with physician-administered drugs (PADs)/biologics and various outpatient sites of service
• Required: Seasoned, mature pharmaceutical professional with a comprehensive understanding of field/patient reimbursement, charitable funding, and non-profit organizations
• Required: Experience leading cross-functionally and influencing without authority
• Preferred: Case management or experience supporting patients/caregivers directly
• Required: Must be familiar with relevant legal and regulatory environment in biotech industry
• Required: Strong EQ, communication, listening skills and empathy skills (bilingual is a plus)
• Required: Effective at managing complex individualized cases

Skills

• Emotional intelligence and empathy
• Strong communication and active listening
• Cross-functional collaboration and influencing without authority
• Problem solving and patient advocacy
• Relationship building with patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals

Education

• BS Required; master’s degree a plus

Additional Requirements

• Must be comfortable spending 60% of time traveling
• Driving is an essential duty of the job; candidates must have a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record according to Biogen policy