Professional Medical Coder III

Lexington Medical Center; West Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Day One benefits

403(b) match plan

Employer paid life insurance

Supplemental life insurance

Adoption assistance

Disability coverage

Student loan forgiveness

Job summary

Lexington Health, a comprehensive network including Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, SC, seeks an experienced medical coder. The role focuses on assigning ICD and CPT codes, abstracting data from records, and ensuring adherence to CMS and payer guidelines.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of coding experience across specialties, two active AAPC/AHIMA certifications, and proficiency with CPT/ICD coding and EHR systems. Collaboration with clinicians and audits are part of daily duties.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required with extensive coding experience.
• 5+ years of professional coding across multiple clinical and/or surgical specialties.
• Two active certifications from AAPC or AHIMA are required.
• Experience with CPT/ICD coding, payer edits and Medicare LCDs/NCDs is essential.
• Strong computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft applications.

Responsibilities

• Assign ICD and CPT codes for facility or professional reimbursement and statistics.
• Abstract clinical information from medical records for accurate documentation.
• Stay current with coding trends and regulatory guidelines.
• Train and mentor peers; assist management with coding audits.
• Collaborate with physicians and coding staff to ensure quality coding.

Skills

Medical coding

ICD coding

CPT coding

Regulatory compliance

E/M documentation

Microsoft Office

Electronic health records

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Tools

EHR systems

CMS/ payer guidelines

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Coding
Full Time
AM Shift
8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Sign-On Bonus:5,000

Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 healthcare professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as best in the Columbia Metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Health delivers more than 4,000 babies each year, performs more than 34,000 surgeries annually and is the region's third largest employer.

Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state’s first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer’s care center. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.

Job Summary

Assigns appropriate ICD and CPT codes for reimbursement and statistical purposes. Follows ICD, CPT, CMS, and other regulatory coding guidelines. Abstracts clinical information from medical records for complete and accurate statistical documentation. Trains and mentors peers and assists management with coding audits.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: High School Diploma or EquivalentMinimum Years of Experience: 5 Years of Professional Coding Experience Covering Multiple Clinical and/or Surgical Specialties (Combination of Surgical, E/M, or other coding experience as approved by Director), which they Successfully Met Quality and Productivity StandardsSubstitutable Education & Experience (Optional): In lieu of the above experience combination in coding, will consider either of the following combinations:
10 Years of Internal Experience Working within LMC’s Coding Department Demonstrating Core Competencies, in which they Successfully Met Quality and Productivity Standards.Required Certifications/Licensure: At least Two Active Certifications from AAPC or AHIMA
(Eligible Certifications are CPC, CCS, CCS-P, CPMA, CRC, CDIP, CDEO, CCDS, CCDS-O, or other approved by Director).Required Training: Experience working with CPT, ICD diagnosis coding;
Experience with CCI edits;
Experience with Medicare LCDs and NCDs;
Understanding of state and federal regulations as well as payor billing requirements;
Must be computer literate and have experience with Microsoft applications (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook);
Experience with electronic health records software;
E/M Documentation Guideline (1995/1997/2021) experience;
Meets or exceeds department quality and productivity expectations.

Essential Functions

• Reviews and interprets medical documentation to accurately assign ICD and CPT codes for facility or professional reimbursement and statistical purposes.
• Abstracts information into computer for reimbursement and statistical purposes.
• Researches and stays current with trends in healthcare coding and compliance.
• Keeps department manager up to date with any coding or documentation issues.
• Assists management with training and mentoring peers.
• Performs educational peer audits as needed.
• Must work independently and collaboratively to support the achievement of department People, Quality, Finance, and Service goals as well as organizational goals.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Works as a team with physicians, coding staff and other hospital personnel to ensure proper and accurate code assignment and continuous quality improvement.
• Responsible for assisting with coding claim edits and reviewing claim denials for correction.
• Reports to work in a timely manner and adheres to attendance policies. Conscientious of scheduling time off in advance so as not to interfere dramatically with coding turnaround times.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

We are committed to offering quality, cost-effective benefits choices for our benefit eligible employees and their families:

• Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
• Employer paid life insurance – equal to 1x salary
• Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
• Adoption assistance
• LHI provides its full-time employees employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
• Student loan forgiveness

Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination-free environment, and to recruit, select, on-board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee’s desires and abilities and the hospital’s needs.