Coding Spec Iii - Outpatient

UT Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PPO medical plan

Paid Time Off

Retirement programs

Parental leave

Wellness programs

Tuition reimbursement

PSLF eligible

Job summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas seeks an experienced healthcare coder to perform retrospective outpatient coding using ICD-10-CM and CPT, ensuring adherence to Official Coding Guidelines and billing accuracy. The role emphasizes precise data abstraction and querying when documentation is unclear.

Ideal candidates have at least 3 years of acute hospital coding experience and hold RHIA, RHIT, CCS, COC, CPC, CPC-H, CIRCC, or equivalent credentials.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Identifies when a physician query is appropriate for further clarification. Recommends actions when documentation is missing or incomplete.
• Maintains the Quality and Productivity Standards set by UTSW/HIM Coding.

Skills

ICD-10-CM CPT

Coding accuracy

Query management

Mentoring

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's in Health Information Management

RHIA/RHIT/CCS/COC/CPC/CPC-H/CIRCC licenses

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

• 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.