Behind every healthcare provider who treats veterans through the VA Community Care Network, TRICARE, or CHAMPVA, there is an entire administrative operation that must function correctly for that care to happen. Someone has to manage the schedule, oversee the billing, coordinate with payers, maintain compliance, handle patient communications, and keep the business running. That person is the Practice Manager — and in the era of telehealth and virtual care, this role can now be performed entirely remotely.
What Is Healthcare Practice Management?
Practice management is the discipline of overseeing the business and administrative operations of a healthcare practice. It encompasses everything that is not clinical care itself — scheduling and patient flow, revenue cycle management, human resources, credentialing oversight, payer relations, compliance monitoring, technology systems, financial reporting, and strategic planning.
In the VA Community Care, TRICARE, and CHAMPVA ecosystem, practice management takes on additional complexity. Providers must navigate enrollment requirements across Optum and TriWest, comply with VHA directives and TRICARE regulations, manage referral and authorization workflows unique to government payers, bill according to federal reimbursement schedules, and maintain credentialing files that meet Joint Commission, NCQA, or URAC standards.
The shift toward telehealth has changed what this role looks like but not what it demands. Telehealth physicians operating solo or in small virtual groups still need every function a practice manager provides — but they need it delivered remotely, flexibly, and without the overhead of a full-time hire. This is where the virtual practice management model has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments in healthcare administration.
Why Virtual Practice Management Is Growing
Physicians are leaving traditional employment at hospitals and health systems in record numbers, choosing instead to build independent telehealth practices. But clinical independence does not eliminate administrative complexity — it concentrates it. The demand for professionals who can provide operational expertise remotely continues to accelerate across the industry.
Step-by-Step: How to Become a Practice Manager
Understand the Full Scope of the Role
Practice managers oversee financial operations (billing, accounts receivable, budgeting, financial reporting), human resources (hiring, onboarding, performance management), clinical operations support (scheduling, referral management, patient flow), technology systems (EHR administration, telehealth platform management, payer portal navigation), compliance (HIPAA, OSHA, OIG, payer-specific regulations), and payer relations (credentialing oversight, enrollment maintenance, contract management).
Complete a Foundation Education Program
Most practice manager roles require at least an associate degree, with a bachelor’s degree preferred. The strongest degree paths include healthcare administration, health information management, business administration, public health, or health services management. For veterans with military administrative experience — unit administration, logistics management, personnel coordination, or medical corps service — existing competencies translate directly to practice management.
Develop Healthcare Administrative Knowledge Through Direct Experience
Understanding how healthcare administrative systems function is essential before overseeing an entire practice. Roles such as medical office assistant, patient access coordinator, billing specialist, scheduling coordinator, credentialing specialist, and medical records technician provide direct operational exposure. Two to three years of progressively responsible experience builds the foundation that practice management requires.
Learn the Federal Payer Ecosystem
Specialized knowledge is required for the VA Community Care space: how Optum and TriWest manage CCN provider enrollment, how TRICARE East and West contractor systems work, how CHAMPVA claims are submitted and processed, and how VA credentialing requirements differ from commercial payer requirements.
Earn a Professional Certification
Certification separates generalist office managers from recognized practice management professionals. The CMOM (Certified Medical Office Manager) from PMI is an accessible entry credential. The CMPE (Certified Medical Practice Executive) from ACMPE/MGMA is the only board certification in medical practice management in the United States. MGMA offers veteran and active-duty application discounts.
Understand the Career Pathways Available
Two primary career pathways exist in practice management: traditional employment within hospitals, health systems, physician groups, or VA-affiliated organizations — and virtual practice management as an independent contractor, providing comprehensive administrative oversight remotely to telehealth providers and small virtual practices. Both pathways are expanding as healthcare delivery shifts toward virtual models.
Two Certification Routes Compared
Issued by the Practice Management Institute (PMI). Covers medical office operations, billing, coding compliance, HIPAA, human resources, and financial management. No formal experience prerequisite. Well-suited for professionals transitioning from administrative or military backgrounds into healthcare management.
Issued by ACMPE through MGMA. The only board certification in medical practice management in the United States. Requires MGMA membership, a bachelor’s degree (or 120 credit hours), and at least two years of healthcare management experience. Two exams: multiple-choice and scenario-based. MGMA offers veteran and active-duty application discounts.
Why AI Cannot Replace Practice Managers
THE HUMAN JUDGMENT FACTOR
Artificial intelligence can automate scheduling reminders, generate financial reports, and flag billing anomalies — but it cannot replace the strategic and interpersonal judgment that practice management requires. When a provider’s revenue is declining, a practice manager must diagnose whether the problem is clinical throughput, coding accuracy, payer reimbursement rates, denial patterns, or patient no-shows — and then design a solution. These are judgment-intensive, relationship-driven decisions that require contextual understanding and strategic thinking.
Research Your Earning Potential
Practice manager compensation varies significantly by experience, certification level, practice size, and geographic region. This article does not include earning projections. Use the following third-party resources:
The following independent sources provide current compensation data.
Medical Practice Manager Salary Data
Practice Manager Salaries by Location
Medical Practice Manager Salary Data
Practice Manager Compensation
Paying for Your Education: VA Benefits and Scholarship Opportunities
Post-9/11 GI Bill (Ch. 33)
Covers tuition for associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs. Reimburses approved certification exam fees up to $2,000, covering CMOM or CMPE costs.
VR&E / Chapter 31
Covers full tuition, books, supplies, professional membership fees (MGMA), certification exam fees, and monthly subsistence allowance.
MyCAA (Military Spouses)
Provides up to $4,000 over two years. Practice management qualifies as a portable career.
Chapter 35 / DEA
Provides up to 45 months of education benefits to eligible dependents for associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree programs.
Additional Scholarship and Funding Sources
MGMA offers veteran and active-duty discounts on CMPE certification applications — contact 877-275-6462 ext. 1888 for current details. MGMA state chapters offer scholarships for emerging practice management professionals. The DOD COOL program may support certification costs for active-duty military. Many states offer tuition waivers for veterans and dependents.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY
When a telehealth practice serving veterans runs smoothly — when enrollment is current, billing is accurate, scheduling is optimized, and compliance is maintained — veterans receive timely, uninterrupted care. Practice Managers hold the entire operation together. By educating more veterans and military families about this career path, we create stronger administrative infrastructure for the providers who serve those who served.