Manager, Coding (Claims Operations)

Medica; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 79,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Paid time off

Holidays

Job summary

Medica is a nonprofit health plan delivering care across multiple states and communities. The Manager, Coding leads Payment Analytics and Reimbursement Policy, guiding analysts, auditing processes, and reporting results to senior leadership.

The role focuses on reverse engineering vendor savings, identifying cost leakage, and driving improvements in pre-payment solutions, recovery activities, and claim payment accuracy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in claims and coding beyond degree.
• 5+ years of people leadership in healthcare operations.

Responsibilities

• Forecast potential and error savings from analyzing claims data.
• Oversee monthly saving efforts by analysts.
• Recover overpayments identified through retrospective data analytics.
• Identify root causes of errors; drive process improvements and adjust claims editing solutions.
• Maintain relationships with Medica’s claim processing vendor for policy management and accuracy.
• Stay updated on corporate policies, regulatory codes and guidelines.
• Set priorities for staff following up on payment integrity leads.

Skills

Claims & coding experience

People leadership

Healthcare operations

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Related field experience

Job description

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration — because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm and every member feels valued.

The Manager, Coding is responsible for the Payment Analytics’ and Reimbursement Policy departments to ensure appropriate provider claim payment. The position will include visibility to senior leadership through reporting of results and trending of findings month over month. This position will be responsible for reverse engineering vendor savings, identifying medical cost leakage, share insight and absorb information that may lead to future findings.

The duties of this position will have oversight and responsibility for communicating team results and working collaboratively to drive improvements through trending of pre-payment solutions, recoveries, the accuracy of claims payment, volume of claims adjustments, impact to provider service, degree of financial liability, and impact to provider billing pattern changes.

This is a working Manager position and may require the candidate to perform, review or summarize audits and includes training incoming staff on audit practices and procedures. Performs other duties as assigned.

Recovery Oversight & Vendor Management

• Develop a forecast of potential and error savings goals for analyzing claims data
• Oversee the day-to-day processes used by analysts to perform monthly savings efforts
• Recover overpayments identified through retrospective data analytics
• Uncover root cause of errors, influence stakeholders, sponsor process improvement, and continuously enhance claims editing solutions
• Develop and maintain good working relationship with Medica’s claim processing vendor to drive ongoing claim policy management to enhance claim processing accuracy and adjustment reduction
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of corporate policies, regulatory codes, legislative directive, and other guidelines
• Set priorities for staff dedicated to following up on payment integrity leads from vendors

Auditing and Reporting

• Develop executive reporting package
• Comprehend Medica’s contracting strategy and how it relates to our provider reimbursement and system capabilities
• Report overpayments or suspected fraudulent behavior to our Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
• Monitor, manage and report financial impact to management
• Maintain reporting structure by ensuring consistency to both internal and external customers
• Improve processes through automation and/or efficiencies in process
• Review and analyze team findings on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis to identify trends, areas for focus and improvement
• Assure processes are auditable (able to be reperformed with a paper/electronic trail)

Department Representation

• Be available to internal and external customers as a subject matter expert in the area of waste and errors; and the general processes performed by payment analytics and reimbursement policy
• Effectively manage and/or participate in projects as assigned by director
• Educate and advise customers about the processes, content and trends
• Assure integration and collaboration with other Medica stakeholders including pharmacy ops, payment intent/cost containment, network management, SIU, claims operations, operations audit and internal audit

Department Management

• Development, monitoring and reporting of goals and metrics for analytic identification and reimbursement policy effectiveness
• Achievement of department production goals
• General management duties (coaching, team, staff and 1:1 meetings, issue identification, escalation and resolution, performance measurement
• Department recruitment, selection, retention and performance improvement in coordination with department director
• Perform annual performance reviews
• Develop and maintain staff morale and promote teamwork
• Provide recognition to staff through the reward and recognition programs
• Coach, encourage and facilitate individual growth and development through specific, timely and consistent feedback
• Provide technical support to staff by assisting them timely. Guide them to other appropriate resources, if needed. Ensure they receive the training needed to help them be successful in their daily roles as well as provide them opportunities for growth
• Collaborate with the team to create and maintain department policies, procedures and swim lane
• Assure processes are established between Medica, post-pay compliance vendors and the claims processing vendors

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in related field
• 7+ years of work experience of progressive experience in claims and coding beyond degree
• 5+ year of people leadership in healthcare operations

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic thinker with experience developing metrics, performance measures, and data-driven operational strategies
• Proven track record of continuous improvement and process optimization in a healthcare or operational environment
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to track, trend, and interpret data to identify opportunities and drive business decisions
• Demonstrated expertise in issue resolution and root cause analysis, including implementing sustainable corrective actions
• Experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders and leading teams to achieve operational and financial objectives

This position is an Office role, which requires an employee to work onsite, on average, 3 days per week. We are open to candidates located near one of the following office locations: Minnetonka, MN, Madison, WI, St. Louis, MO, or Omaha, NE.

The full salary grade for this position is $78,700 - $134,900. While the full salary grade is provided, the typical hiring salary range for this role is expected to be between $78,700 - $118,020. Annual salary range placement will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, education, work experience, applicable certifications and/or licensure, the position's scope and responsibility, internal pay equity and external market salary data. In addition to base compensation, this position may be eligible for incentive plan compensation in addition to base salary. Medica offers a generous total rewards package that includes competitive medical, dental, vision, PTO, Holidays, paid volunteer time off, 401K contributions, caregiver services and many other benefits to support our employees. The compensation and benefits information is provided as of the date of this posting. Medica’s compensation and benefits are subject to change at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Eligibility to work in the US: Medica does not offer work visa sponsorship for this role. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Employment is contingent on verification of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer, where all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.