Inpatient Coder

University of Minnesota School of Nursing; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Generous PTO

Medical, dental, vision plans

401(k) with company match

Student loan refinancing program

Career development opportunities

Pet Insurance

Benefits website

Job summary

Universal Health Services in the Western Region is seeking an Inpatient Coder for the Appeals department. The DRG Coder analyzes third party coding audits, drafts appeal letters, and reviews clinical care levels to prevent downgrades, with remote or in-office work options.

Compensation ranges from $24.80 to $37.20 per hour based on experience and full-time status. The role requires CCS certification, DRG expertise, and 1–3 years coding experience (3–5 years preferred).

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Professional coding certification CCS (Required), CCA, CCS-P, CPC, RHIT, RHIA preferred.
• IP DRG experience.
• 1-3 years coding experience, 3-5 years preferred.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Understanding of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology and medical terminology.
• Familiarity with appeals and healthcare business office experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform DRG validation reviews in response to audits from third party payers.
• Review audit findings letters to obtain understanding of audited diagnosis codes and payer rationale.
• Analyze medical records to obtain supporting clinical documentation for billed diagnosis codes.
• Write detailed appeal letters based on clinical findings to payers.
• Make decisions to update DRGs or add to billed diagnosis codes based on clinical reviews.
• Assign DRG audits to nurse auditors when coding audit is based on clinical criteria.
• Provide analysis and assistance to the appeals department.
• Assist customer service with patient complaints related to coding issues on bills.
• Provide a detailed charge/coding breakdown to assist with split billing.
• Manage multiple spreadsheets including DRG inventory and vendor returns.
• Maintain educational guidebooks for department workflows.
• Draft and maintain appeal letter templates.
• Identify audit trends and provide feedback to management and facilities.

Education

CCS Certification

Additional certifications (CCA, CCS-P, CPC, RHIT, RHIA)

Job description

The Western Region Consolidated Business Office delivers comprehensive insurance revenue services to our affiliated UHS facilities, encompassing billing, collections, cash posting, pre-access management, variance analysis, and customer service. Our dedication to associate satisfaction and growth is recognized by industry leaders, exemplifying our commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture. Our associates can count on competitive salaries, top-tier medical, dental, and retirement benefits, career training, and support for continued professional development.

The Western Region CBO is seeking a dynamic and talented Inpatient Coder for our Appeals department. The primary responsibility of the DRG Coder is to analyze third party coding audits of paid claims, draft detailed appeal letters, evaluate clinical level of care and review denial trends. This can be a remote or in-office position. $24.80-$37.20/hour based on experience, full time.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Perform DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) validation reviews in response to audits from third party payers.
• Review audit findings letters from third party payers to obtain a clear understanding of audited diagnosis codes and underlying payer clinical / coding rationale.
• Analyze medical records to obtain supporting clinical documentation for billed diagnosis codes.
• Write detailed appeal letters based on clinical findings to third party payers to prevent downgrade payment recoveries.
• Make decision to update DRGs or remote or add to billed diagnose codes based on clinical reviews
• Assign DRG audits to nurse auditors when coding audit is based on clinical criteria.
• Provide analysis and assistance as needed to the appeals department.
• Assist customer service with patient complaints related to coding issues on their medical bills.
• Provide a detailed charge/coding breakdown to assist with medical claims that need to be split billed based on various clinical scenarios.
• Manage multiple spreadsheets including DRG inventory and inventory returned from vendors.
• Maintain educational guidebooks for multiple department workflows.
• Assist with drafting and maintaining appeal letter templates.
• Identify audit trends and provide feedback to management and to UHS acute care facilities.
• Adherence to all applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.

Position Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Professional coding certification: CCS (Required), CCA, CCS-P, CPC, RHIT, RHIA preferred.
• IP DRG experience
• 1-3 years coding experience, 3-5 years (preferred)
• Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word, Outlook)
• An understanding of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology and medical terminology is required.
• Familiarity with appeals and 1-3 years of healthcare business office experience preferred
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefit & Rewards Highlights:

• Challenging and rewarding work environment
• Competitive Compensation & Generous Paid Time Off
• Excellent Medical, Dental, Vision and Prescription Drug Plans
• 401(K) with company match and discounted stock plan
• SoFi Student Loan Refinancing Program
• Career development opportunities within UHS and its 300+ Subsidiaries!
• Pet Insurance
• More information is available on our Benefits Guest Website: benefits.uhsguest.com

About Universal Health Services:

One of the nation’s largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) has built an impressive record of achievement and performance. Growing steadily since its inception into an esteemed Fortune 500® corporation, annual revenues during 2025 were $17.4 billion. In 2026, UHS was again recognized as one of Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies™ and in 2025, was listed in Forbes ranking of America’s Largest Public Companies.

Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, UHS has approximately 101,500 employees and continues to grow through its subsidiaries. Operating acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, outpatient facilities and ambulatory care access points, an insurance offering, a physician network and various related services located in 40 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. For additional information visit www.uhs.com.