Nursing Jobs in Pasadena, CA
$88,854 - $142,166 / year
Salary Range: $88,854.00 (Min.) - $115,509.00 (Mid.) - $142,166.00 (Max.) Established in 1997, L.A. Care Health Plan is an independent public agency created by the state of California to provide health coverage to low-income Los Angeles County residents. We are the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan. Serving more than 2 million members, we make sure our members get the right care at the right place at the right time. Mission: L.A. Care’s mission is to provide access to quality health care for Los Angeles County's vulnerable and low-income communities and residents and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. Job Summary The Utilization Management (UM) Claims Review Nurse RN II is responsible for conducting clinical review of medical claims to ensure services were medically necessary, appropriately documented, accurately billed, and compliant with established clinical policies and regulatory standards. This position supports payment integrity initiatives through retrospective and pre-payment review processes, helps reduce unnecessary denials, and monitors for potential fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA). The UM Claims Review Nurse RN II collaborates closely with internal teams to ensure accurate adjudication and compliance. This position collaborates closely with internal stakeholders and external entities to support compliance with state, federal, and accreditation requirements. Duties Perform claims pre-payment review by supporting the Claims team in evaluating flagged claims prior to adjudication to ensure services are medically necessary, documentation supports billed services, coding is accurate and aligned with authorization when applicable, and unnecessary denials are reduced through accurate clinical validation. Conduct comprehensive retrospective reviews, applying established clinical criteria, policies, and regulatory guidelines to determine medical necessity and appropriateness of services rendered. Complete Provider Dispute Review (PDR) clinical evaluations for disputed claims requiring medical necessity scrutiny and clinical determination. Apply internal and external clinical policies, including those developed by the Clinical Policy team, to ensure compliance with guidelines intended to limit fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA). Ensure adherence to federal and state regulations, and accreditation standards. Monitor trends related to contested claims and identify potential FWA concerns; escalate findings in accordance with organizational compliance protocols. Collaborate with internal teams to support payment integrity initiatives. Provide clear, well-documented clinical rationales supporting approval, denial, or adjustment decisions. Maintain productivity and quality standards consistent with departmental expectations. Participate in audits, regulatory readiness activities, and quality improvement initiatives as assigned. Document review outcomes clearly and accurately within designated systems, ensuring audit readiness and traceability. Remain current with evolving clinical guidelines, coding standards, reimbursement methodologies, and regulatory requirements. Perform other duties as assigned. Duties Continued Education Required Associate's Degree in Nursing Education Preferred Bachelor's Degree in Nursing Experience Required: At least 5 years of experience in Clinical Nursing. At least 3 years of experience with Medi-Cal and Medicare in a managed care environment. Experience in performing and creating clinical documentation. Experience in regulatory compliance for a health plan. Preferred: Experience with Provider Dispute Review (PDR) processes. Experience applying clinical guidelines (e.g., InterQual, MCG, or internally developed criteria) in processes. Prior experience in payment integrity, compliance, or fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) monitoring. Skills Required: Knowledge of medical necessity criteria, reimbursement principles, and managed care operation. Working knowledge of clinical policies. Working knowledge of CPT/HCPC Codes, and ICD-10. Proficient in claims processing systems and electronic medical record platforms. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to identify discrepancies, assess risk, and recommend actionable solutions. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to work independently with a high degree of initiative, organization, and self-direction. Ability to work effectively with diverse teams in cross-functional work groups. Ability to multitask, re-prioritize tasking, and streamline day-to-day operations. Familiarity with regulatory and accreditation standards (e.g., CMS, Medi-Cal, NCQA). Understanding of the managed care industry and market conditions. High organizational and time-management skills. Preferred: Strong analytical and investigative skills with the ability to synthesize clinical and claims information into clear, defensible determinations are highly valued. Advanced knowledge of medical necessity criteria tools such as InterQual or MCG. Extensive knowledge in claims reviews includes retrospective reviews, pre-payment claims review, and medical necessity determinations. Licenses/Certifications Required Registered Nurse (RN) - Active, current and unrestricted California License Licenses/Certifications Preferred Required Training Physical Requirements Light Additional Information Salary Range Disclaimer: The expected pay range is based on many factors such as geography, experience, education, and the market. The range is subject to change. L.A. Care offers a wide range of benefits including Paid Time Off (PTO) Tuition Reimbursement Retirement Plans Medical, Dental and Vision Wellness Program Volunteer Time Off (VTO) $102,183 - $163,492 / year
Salary Range: $102,183.00 (Min.) - $132,838.00 (Mid.) - $163,492.00 (Max.) Established in 1997, L.A. Care Health Plan is an independent public agency created by the state of California to provide health coverage to low-income Los Angeles County residents. We are the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan. Serving more than 2 million members, we make sure our members get the right care at the right place at the right time. Mission: L.A. Care’s mission is to provide access to quality health care for Los Angeles County's vulnerable and low-income communities and residents and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. Job Summary The Clinical Policy Clinical Coder RN II is responsible for analyzing, interpreting, and operationalizing medical and utilization management policies to ensure accurate coding, appropriate authorization requirements, compliant claims processing, and effective utilization oversight. This position serves as a key clinical and coding resource, translating medical policy requirements into diagnosis, procedure, and service code logic, including determining which codes require prior authorization. Conducts in-depth research and analysis of legislation and regulatory requirements, clinical outcomes, utilization, claims, and financial data to identify utilization trends, fiscal risk, and opportunities for policy enhancement and cost containment. This position works cross-functionally with internal teams to ensure policies are codified, consistently applied, and monitored through reporting and data analysis. This position collaborates closely with internal stakeholders and external entities to support standardized benefit administration, effective program implementation, and organizational compliance with state, federal, and accreditation requirements. Duties Translate approved clinical policies and utilization management criteria into clear, codified claims rules and system logic to support accurate claims adjudication. Develop, revise, and recommend clinical policies and internal utilization management criteria when standard clinical guidelines are insufficient to support appropriate decision-making based on codified claim rules. Assess the downstream claims impact of new or revised clinical policies prior to implementation and recommend configuration updates to mitigate operational or financial risk. Participate in validation of claims configuration changes to ensure policies are applied correctly and consistently across all lines of business. Monitor post-implementation claims activity to identify configuration issues, unintended denials, or payment discrepancies related to clinical policy application. Support remediation of claims configuration defects by identifying root causes and coordinating corrective actions with internal teams. Participate in and lead specialty and cross-functional workgroups and committees focused on healthcare services clinical policies, utilization management processes, strategic initiatives, policy governance, operational alignment, and continuous improvement efforts. Ensure timely dissemination of accurate and consistent policies and procedures across departments. Promote collaboration, engagement, and a positive work environment while supporting departmental initiatives and team-based activities. Manage assigned projects from concept through implementation, ensuring timelines, quality standards, and deliverables are met. Analyze and interpret medical and utilization management policies to identify applicable diagnosis, procedure, and service codes and determine authorization, pre-payment, or post-payment review requirements. Define and maintain code lists that require prior authorization or other utilization management controls based on clinical evidence, regulatory guidance, utilization trends, and financial risk. Duties Continued Collaborate with internal teams to ensure authorization requirements and coding logic are accurately configured in authorization and claims systems based on authorization matrix requirements. Support accurate claims processing by validating codified authorization and policy requirements are correctly applied and aligned with approved medical policies. Provide clinical and coding recommendations to support the development, revision, and implementation of new or updated medical and utilization management policies. Investigate and resolve coding and authorization related issues, including claim denials, coding edits, authorization discrepancies, and policy interpretation questions. Review and assess claims edits, authorization matrixes, and coding rules to identify root causes of errors or inconsistencies and recommend corrective actions. Ensure coding, authorization requirements, and claims-related guidance align with medical necessity criteria, benefit structures, and applicable state, federal, and regulatory requirements. Develop, review, and maintain reporting related to authorization required codes, approval and denial rates, utilization patterns, claims payment outcomes, and policy effectiveness. Prepare reports, summaries, and presentations and communicate findings, recommendations, and action plans to internal and external stakeholders. Analyze claims, authorization, and utilization data to identify trends, measure policy impact, and recommend opportunities for policy refinement, cost containment, or reduction of administrative burden. Monitor post-implementation performance of authorization-required codes and recommend additions, removals, or modifications to authorization requirements based on regulatory thresholds and utilization outcomes. Perform other duties as assigned. Education Required Associate's Degree in Nursing Education Preferred Bachelor's Degree in Nursing Experience Required: At least 8 years of experience in Clinical Nursing. At least 3 years of experience with Medi-Cal and Medicare in a managed care environment. Experience in performing and creating clinical documentation. Experience in regulatory compliance for a health plan. Experience with medical coding systems. Preferred: At least 1 year of experience in editing and writing clinical health services policies within a managed care health plan. Skills Required: Proficient with clinical policy through skills in literature searching and clinical research analysis based on the best available evidence. Working knowledge of clinical policies. Working knowledge of CPT/HCPC codes and claims. Ability to translate regulatory requirements into auditable tools. Ability to perform independent research on complex medical topics. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong analytical, problem solving, and team building skills. Ability to work independently with strong self-direction. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PDF documentation tools. Ability to work effectively with diverse teams in cross-functional work groups. Ability to multitask, re-prioritize tasking, and streamline day-to-day operations. Ability to identify discrepancies, assess risk, and recommend actionable solutions. Knowledge of medical coding systems, including ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS, and their application in authorization and claims environments. Strong organizational and time-management skills. Preferred: Advanced skills in assessing clinical policy deficiencies through literature searching and clinical research analysis based on the best available evidence. Proficient in claims configuration, including claims adjudication workflows, configuration of claims edits and rules, and the translation of clinical and utilization management policies into system-based claims logic to support accurate, compliant payment outcomes. Understanding of the managed care industry and market conditions. Licenses/Certifications Required Registered Nurse (RN) - Active, current and unrestricted California License Licenses/Certifications Preferred Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Required Training Physical Requirements Light Additional Information Salary Range Disclaimer: The expected pay range is based on many factors such as geography, experience, education, and the market. The range is subject to change. L.A. Care offers a wide range of benefits including Paid Time Off (PTO) Tuition Reimbursement Retirement Plans Medical, Dental and Vision Wellness Program Volunteer Time Off (VTO) $88,854 - $142,166 / year
Salary Range: $88,854.00 (Min.) - $115,509.00 (Mid.) - $142,166.00 (Max.) Established in 1997, L.A. Care Health Plan is an independent public agency created by the state of California to provide health coverage to low-income Los Angeles County residents. We are the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan. Serving more than 2 million members, we make sure our members get the right care at the right place at the right time. Mission: L.A. Care’s mission is to provide access to quality health care for Los Angeles County's vulnerable and low-income communities and residents and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. Job Summary The Clinical Policy Nurse RN II is responsible for analytical research, trending, and assessment based on legislation, regulatory and accreditation requirements that impact claims, Utilization Management (UM) department and healthcare services policies. Reviews and analyzes clinical financial data to assess the effectiveness of existing and proposed policies to identify opportunities for improvement, cost containment, and quality enhancement. This position plays a key role in translating regulatory impacts into operational strategies and works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure clinical policies support safe, effective, and compliant care delivery. Assists in development of policies and programs that improve health outcomes and target Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA). This position works cross functionally with other departments to develop end to end operational strategies of policy content and roll out timeframes. The Clinical Policy Nurse II serves as a liaison to ensure the ongoing maintenance of clinical coding for the authorization matrix. Duties Assess federal, state, and local legislation, regulatory guidance, and health care policies to identify potential impacts on clinical practice, reimbursement and organizational operations that impact healthcare services policies. Review and interpret clinical, utilization, and financial data to identify trends, opportunities for policy improvement and cost-savings. Research, develop, and evaluate clinical and health policy designed to improve patient outcomes, detect and mitigate Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA), and streamline organizational processes. Monitor the implementation of health programs, clinical initiatives, and community action plans to assess effectiveness, compliance, and impact on patient outcomes. Collaborate with internal stakeholders to evaluate utilization trends and anomalies and contribute to policy development aimed at improving efficiency and compliance identified during risk assessments. Prepare analytical reports, summaries, and analyses assessing policy performance, regulatory impact, and communicate insights and recommendations to stakeholders to drive evidence-based policy and impacted outcomes. Present findings, recommendations, and action plans to key stakeholders. Participate in work groups related to healthcare services clinical policies and procedures including efforts to improve department processes, as needed. Perform other duties as assigned. Duties Continued Education Required Associate's Degree in Nursing Education Preferred Bachelor's Degree in Nursing Experience Required: At least 5 years of experience in Clinical Nursing. At least 3 years of experience with Medi-Cal and Medicare in a managed care environment. Experience in performing and creating clinical documentation. Experience in regulatory compliance for a health plan. Preferred: Experience with active participation in state regulatory audits such as Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) audits. At least 1 year of experience in clinical health services policies with a managed care plan. Skills Required: Demonstrated strong reporting skills by preparing clear, concise reports and presentations that communicate findings and performance. Working knowledge of clinical policies. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret regulatory requirements and legislation. Ability to translate regulatory requirements into auditable tools. Ability to perform independent research on complex medical topics. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong problem solving and team building skills. Ability to work independently with strong self-direction. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PDF documentation tools. Ability to work effectively with diverse teams in cross-functional work groups. Ability to multitask, re-prioritize tasking, and streamline day-to-day operations. Strong organizational and time-management skills. Preferred: Advanced skills in assessing clinical policy deficiencies through literature searching and clinical research analysis based on the best available evidence. Understanding of the managed care industry and market conditions. Licenses/Certifications Required Registered Nurse (RN) - Active, current and unrestricted California License Licenses/Certifications Preferred Required Training Physical Requirements Light Additional Information Salary Range Disclaimer: The expected pay range is based on many factors such as geography, experience, education, and the market. The range is subject to change. L.A. Care offers a wide range of benefits including Paid Time Off (PTO) Tuition Reimbursement Retirement Plans Medical, Dental and Vision Wellness Program Volunteer Time Off (VTO) 
