Medical Coder I - HIM Hospital Coding

DaMar Staffing; Chapel Hill (NC); Remote; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Health's Shared Services HIM Hospital Coding team is seeking a skilled coder to review, abstract and assign CPT/HCPCS/ICD-10/ICD-10-PCS codes for professional services and inpatient cases, in compliance with regulations.

You will work independently yet collaborate with clinicians and staff across UNC Health systems, handling DRG-related tasks, documentation queries, and education to minimize errors. Remote work is available with a 40-hour work week.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of ICD-10 coding with analytical skills.
• Ability to manage projects, plan and implement programs, and evaluate outcomes.
• Experience working with varied staff levels, including remote teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Assign ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS codes for inpatient cases and professional services.
• Group codes into payment groups and assign related codes like MS-DRG.
• Assign codes affecting Severity of Illness and Risk of Mortality and HCCs.
• Participate in DRG reconciliation with CDS.
• Query providers when documentation is unclear and requires clarification.
• Analyze information for optimal reimbursement and compliance with regs.
• Provide guidance on coding practices and regulatory changes to staff.
• Review and abstract physician documentation for diagnoses and procedures.
• Obtain missing information and clarify existing records.
• Respond to auditor feedback and use it for educational purposes.
• Research databases to validate information and ensure accuracy.
• Utilize Epic, Optum CAC, MS Office and other software to compile and validate data.

Skills

ICD-10 coding

Data analysis

Coding audits

Communication skills

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Remote collaboration

Education

High school diploma or GED

AHIMA certification

AAPC certification

UNC HCS IP Coder Proficiency Test

Tools

Epic

Optum CAC

MS Office

Job description

Description

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

Summary:

Performs technical and administrative work reviewing, abstracting and assigning accepted medical CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10

codes for professional services. Duties are performed in compliance with third party, state and federal regulations according to standardized procedures.

Employees report to an administrative superior but independently handle assigned tasks.

Responsibilities:

1. Assigns International Classification of Diseases 10-CM diagnostic and ICD-10-PCS procedural codes accurately and productively, and other applicable codes such as MS-DRG on inpatient cases for all Health Care system cases excluding the academic medical center

2. Groups codes and completed product into payment group.

3. Assigns codes that affect Severity of Illness and Risk of Mortality and Hierarchal Condition Categories (HCCs).

4. Participates in DRG Reconciliation with CDS.

5. Queries providers when documentation is conflicting, needs clarification and specificity

6. Analyzes information for optimal and proper reimbursement.

7. Ensures compliance with all appropriate coding, billing and data collection regulations and procedures.

8. Provides information to physicians and other health care staff regarding current coding practices and changes in 3rd party, state and federal regulations and guidelines.

9. Reviews, analyzes and abstracts physician/other documentation for diagnoses, procedures, and other services provided.

10. Obtains missing information and/or to clarifies existing information.

11. Accepts feedback from Auditor and evaluates results from audited records as needed for educational purposes to avoid future errors.

12. Researches appropriate databases for validation of information.

13. Utilizes a variety of software (e.g. Epic, Optum CAC, MS Office, etc.) to compile and validate medical information.

Other Information

Education Requirements:

? High school diploma or GED required; higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement. Successful completion of the UNC HCS IP Coder Proficiency Test (non AMC).

Licensure/Certification Requirements:

? Must have one of the following: - AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) certification and credential - AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders) certification and credential

Professional Experience Requirements:

? Two (2) years of experience in hospital coding.

Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

? Strong knowledge of ICD-10 coding with excellent analytical and data mining skills. Ability to effectively manage projects, plan and implement programs, and evaluate outcomes. Ability to effectively work with direct various levels of staff (including on-site and remote). Must possess strong communication skills, both written and verbal and have extensive attention to detail. Exhibits effective organizational skills, time management, and management of multiple priorities. Knowledge of Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology. Ability to have an excellent balance of being highly productive and yet produce high quality work. Ability to interpret federal and state regulations as they relate to coding and compliance.

Job Details

Legal Employer: NCHEALTH

Entity: Shared Services

Organization Unit: HIM Hospital Coding

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range: $23.24 - $33.41 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Remote

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Health Care System, in a department that provides shared services to operations across UNC Health Care; except that, if you are currently a UNCHCS State employee already working in a designated shared services department, you may remain a UNCHCS State employee if selected for this job.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email [e-mail] if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran.