CODING SPEC III – OUTPATIENT

UTSW; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX, is seeking an experienced Medical Coding Specialist to join our HIM Coding team. You will code retrospective outpatient accounts using ICD-10-CM and CPT, ensuring accuracy and adherence to guidelines and edits.

The role requires 3 years of acute hospital-based coding experience and relevant certifications (RHIA/RHIT or CPC/ CCS). You will mentor others and support denial reviews as needed.

Qualifications

• 3 years of acute hospital-based coding experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Identifies most appropriate diagnoses and procedures to support medical necessity and edits.
• Abstracts data elements including discharge disposition, dates, and physician information.
• Reviews denials queues and provides recommendations to Coding Manager.
• Mentors or trains on coding service lines to ensure quality.

Responsibilities

• Code retrospective outpatient accounts using ICD-10-CM and CPT.
• Accurately identify primary diagnosis, procedures, modifiers, and secondary diagnoses.
• Abstract required data elements for coding accuracy and compliance.
• Review denials and assist in revenue integrity improvements.
• Flag when physician queries are needed and route appropriately.
• Maintain Quality and Productivity Standards in HIM Coding.
• Mentor/train others as requested.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Acute hospital coding

ICD-10-CM

CPT coding

Medical record abstraction

Quality and productivity

Mentoring/training

Denials review

Education

RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator)

RHIT (Registered Health Information Technologist)

CCS (Certified Coding Specialist)

COC (Certified Outpatient Coding)

CPC (Certified Professional Coder)

CPC-H

CIRCC

High School Diploma or equivalent

Associate’s Degree in Health Information Management

Bachelor’s Degree in Health Information Management

Job description

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

BENEFITS

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education

High School Diploma or equivalent.

• Experience

3 years of acute hospital based coding experience or

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

• Licenses and Certifications

(RHIA) REGD HEALTH INFO ADMINIST or

(RHIT) REGD HEALTH INFO TECHNOLO or

(CCS) CERT CODING SPECIALIST or

(COC) Certified Outpatient Coding or

(CPC) CERT PROFESSIONAL CODER or

AAPC Certified Professional Coder-Hospital (CPC-H) or

(CIRCC) Cert Inter Rad Cardio Coder

Preferred

• Education

Associate’s Degree in Health Information Management and/or closely related field or

Bachelor’s Degree in Health Information Management and/or closely related field

• Experience

Experience working in a remote environment preferred; required for PRN Coders.

JOB DUTIES

• Responsible for coding retrospective outpatient accounts using ICD-10 CM and CPT, in compliance with the Official Coding Guidelines and conventions.
• Accurately identifies most appropriate Reason for Visit, First Listed (Primary) Diagnosis, Procedure(s), Modifiers, and all secondary diagnoses to accurately support medical necessity (LCD/NCD edits) and CCI edits.
• Accurately abstracts required data elements including, discharge disposition, discharge destination, procedure dates and physician(s), Occurrence Codes, and other designated data.
• May be assigned to review accounts in the denials work queues and make recommendations to the Coding Manager.
• a) Identifies when a physician query is appropriate for further clarification. b) Recognizes when the documentation is missing or incomplete and routes appropriately. c) Validates chargemaster driven CPT code assignment and routes appropriately. d) Completes review and final coding when query and/or documentation is available.
• Maintain the Quality and Productivity Standards set by UTSW/HIM Coding.
• Mentor/train on designated coding service lines as requested to ensure quality.
• Maintains an expert level of knowledge of coding related guidelines and practices.
• Other duties as assigned

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.