Medical Billing Coder (Staff Specialist)

County of Orange; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Orange is seeking a Medical Billing Coder (Staff Specialist) to review patient records, assign CPT/ICD-10 codes, and ensure accurate billing for Medicare, Medi-Cal, and third-party payers. The role requires minimal supervision and may involve staff training on coding issues.

Ideal candidates have at least three years of medical coding experience and familiarity with HIPAA, billing regulations, and public-sector workflows.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience in medical records review, verification of procedures/diagnoses, or coding.
• Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification is highly desired but not required.
• Strong knowledge of Medicare, Medi-Cal, and HIPAA regulations.
• Ability to interpret CPT/ICD-10 codes and medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Review patient records to assign principal and secondary codes per CPT/ICD-10 guidelines.
• Validate completeness and accuracy of coded records and billing submissions.
• Provide training to clinical staff on coding/documentation issues.
• Assist in analyzing state and federal billing regulations to support changes.

Skills

Medical billing

CPT/ICD-10

HIPAA rules

Communication

Job description

Medical Billing Coder

(Staff Specialist)

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Medical Billing Codepositions. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will close on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 11:59 P.M. (PST)

AUDITOR-CONTROLLER

The Auditor-Controller Department is committed to serving Orange County by ensuring accountability over public spending, transparency of Taxpayer dollars, and engaging the public in government. We carry out our vision and mission by conducting the Public's business with the highest ethical and due diligence standards by supporting ethical and responsible financial decisions throughout the County.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Health Care Agency Accounting is part of the Satellite Operations Division of the Auditor-Controller Department that is responsible for providing accounting support services to the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) Department. The Medical Billing Unit, within the HCA Accounting Division, ensures that HCA is billing in compliance with federal and state guidelines and all billing deadlines are met and revenue collection is not jeopardized. The Medical Billing Unit supports all the coding, billing and collections activities on behalf of HCA.

Medical Billing Coder (Staff Specialist), under minimal supervision, reviews patient medical records to identify the principal diagnosis and all applicable secondary diagnoses and procedures in compliance with CPT and ICD-10 national coding guidelines; reviews coded patient records to determine whether they are complete and accurate; reviews Medicare, Medi-Cal and third party billings to ensure accuracy; interacts with clinical staff to clarify and validate patient medical records are accurately documented with patient diagnostic and procedural information; provides on-going training to clinical staff on various coding and documentation issues; and to do other duties as required. Staff Specialist positions may supervise office and/or technical staff; but the primary focus for this position is on the analysis of state and federal healthcare billing regulations to support the constant changes in the medical billing field.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will demonstrate three (3) years of experience in medical records review, verifying procedure, or diagnosis coding.

A Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Certification is highly desired but not required.

In addition, the ideal candidate will also have extensive experience in the following core competencies:

Technical Knowledge

• Implementing billing changes required by law, regulations or departmental policies and procedures
• Maintaining applicable knowledge in the following: Medicare, Medi-Cal, California Department of Health Care Services regulations, Federal/State billing regulations, and HIPAA
• Conducting complex professional/technical research and analysis for assigned projects and to review the work of other staff
• Reconciling or troubleshooting insurance issues related to billing
• Preparing clear and concise financial and operational reports
• Understanding of medical billing rules and regulations including, but not limited to, Medicare and Medi-Cal regulations
• Medical terminology including an understanding of ICD-10, CPT and HCPCS codes
• Possessing knowledge of general accounting principles and procedures
• Certified coder is a plus
• Experience in public sector is a plus

Leadership

• Leading staff by inspiring, motivating, and empowering them to achieve agency goals and performance measures.
• Building effective working relationships
• Some leadership experience or an example of experience in leading a team during a project/assignment

Communication

• Presenting ideas and material clearly, concisely, logically and persuasively both orally and in writing
• Dealing effectively with various departments/agencies when representing the unit
• Communicating sensitive matters with tact and/or diplomacy, adhering to all HIPAA privacy rules, protecting the personal and health information and/or personal identifying information at all times
• Communicating with persons outside of the department by providing accurate information on billing requirements and or other applicable rules

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all application materials to identify qualified applicants. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)

Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Structured Oral Interview | SOI (Weighted 100%)

The Structured Oral Interview is a timed assessment. Applicants will provide answers to job-related questions, which will be rated by a panel of subject matter experts using standardized evaluation criteria. Only the most qualified candidates will move advance to the next step in the recruitment process or will be placed on the eligible list.

Eligible List

Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies. Based on the County's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The County of Orange is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should notify the recruiter listed on the job posting as soon as possible. Documentation supporting the accommodation request may be required.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account. NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Sarah Correa at [e-mail] or 714-834-3116.

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.