Inpatient Coder II, HB coding

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Chicago, IL

10h • $29 - $42

About The Position

The Inpatient Coder II is the coding and reimbursement expert for ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding and ICD-10-PCS procedure coding for complex inpatient acute-care discharges. The role requires a strong foundation in coding conventions, instructions, Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and Coding Clinics, as well as a deep understanding of disease processes, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and medical terminology. The position reflects Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values and follows its Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program, policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.

Requirements

• RHIA, RHIT, or CCS credential.
• AHIMA membership.
• At least 3 years of inpatient coding experience in an acute healthcare setting.

Nice To Haves

• Associate’s degree in a related field.
• RHIA or RHIT with CCS or CDIP/CCDS credential.
• 4 years of inpatient coding experience in a teaching hospital.

Responsibilities

• Assign appropriate ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes to complex inpatient visit types using technical coding expertise.
• Assign Present on Admission (POA) values to secondary diagnoses for quality metrics and reporting.
• Review provider notes and findings from Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) nurses who concurrently reviewed the health record.
• Use Computerized Assisted Coding (CAC) software resources, including autosuggestion and annotation features, to review documentation and select or assign codes.
• Review discharge planning and nursing documentation to validate and correct discharge disposition when necessary, accounting for Medicare’s Post-Acute Transfer Policy.
• Use knowledge of MS-DRGs, APR-DRGs, and AHRQ Elixhauser risk adjustment to sequence ICD-10-CM codes within the top 24 fields for reimbursement and organizational ranking purposes.
• Collaborate with CDI on approximately 45% of discharges regarding the final MS-DRG or APR-DRG and comorbidity diagnoses.
• Educate CDI on regulatory guidelines, Coding Clinics, and conventions for reporting appropriate ICD-10-CM diagnoses.
• Interpret health-record documentation to determine principal diagnosis, secondary diagnoses, and procedures.
• Follow ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, Coding Clinic guidance, coding conventions, and instructional notes when assigning diagnoses and procedures.
• Write appeal letters in response to payer DRG downgrade notices.
• Resolve Nosology Messages/Alerts and Coding Validation Warnings/Errors.
• Meet established coding productivity and quality standards.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• Lifecycle benefits
• A range of benefits supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being and protection for unexpected life events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed