Coding Specialist

Texas Tech University•El Paso, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Coding Specialist reviews medical record provider documentation and assigns appropriate CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10-CM codes and applicable modifiers for outpatient and inpatient services. The role follows coding standards established by the American Academy of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association, meets established deadlines, and supports accurate and timely billing. The specialist communicates professionally with clinic personnel, physicians, administration, providers, and coworkers, and provides education and training on documentation and coding guidelines. Responsibilities include supporting physician, resident, APP, and coding-staff onboarding; reviewing claim denials and handling corrections and appeals; managing non-coding issues in AthenaIDX and Enterprise Task Manager; entering billing charges in AthenaIDX; and coordinating with an external medical coding vendor. Vendor support includes clarifying documentation and coding questions, providing feedback on discrepancies, auditing vendor-coded charts, and assigning charts or work queues. The specialist must maintain required credentials and complete mandatory compliance and training, follow institutional policies, and demonstrate and promote Texas Tech Health El Paso’s values. Other duties may be assigned. The position is required to be performed onsite at Texas Tech Health El Paso; remote and hybrid work are not available. The employer is not considering applicants who require employment visa sponsorship, including applicants with H1B visas or current student or postgraduate visas.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent (GED).
One year of experience with medical coding and/or billing.
Current RHIT, RHIA, CPC, CCS, CCSP, or equivalent certification through a nationally recognized credentialing body such as AHIMA or AAPC.
Extensive knowledge of HIPAA, Medicare and Medicaid guidelines and regulations, and evaluation and management coding guidelines in an academic teaching setting.
Knowledge of Athena IDX patient accounts, Athena Flow, Cerner EMR/EHR, or patient accounting software systems.
Ability to participate in internal peer coding audit reviews.
Ability to communicate with physicians and other healthcare providers regarding documentation guidelines.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Review provider documentation in medical records and assign appropriate CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10-CM codes and applicable modifiers for outpatient and inpatient services.
Ensure accurate and timely coding and billing in accordance with established deadlines and recognized coding standards.
Assist with onboarding training for physicians, residents, non-physician practitioners (APPs), and coding staff on documentation and coding guidelines.
Review medical coding claim denials for correction and appeals in AthenaIDX and Enterprise Task Manager (ETM), meeting applicable deadlines.
Manage non-coding-related issues in AthenaIDX and ETM and adhere to deadlines.
Enter charge data for billing in AthenaIDX.
Act as a liaison between the internal coding team and the external coding vendor.
Clarify clinical documentation or coding questions for the external vendor, provide feedback on coding discrepancies, audit vendor-coded charts for accuracy and adherence to facility guidelines, and assign charts or work queues as needed.
Maintain required licensure and certifications and complete mandatory compliance and training requirements.
Follow institutional policies, procedures, and practices.
Demonstrate and promote Texas Tech Health El Paso’s values of Service, Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Advancement, and Teamwork.
Perform other duties as assigned.