Medical Coder (CCS / CIC)

Weekday AI

4d•$50 - $70•Remote

About The Position

This contractor role is for an experienced inpatient medical coder with an active CCS or CIC certification. The coder will review complex inpatient clinical records and apply established coding standards to annotate, review, and validate clinical documentation for a project intended to improve the accuracy and clinical understanding of AI systems. AI or machine-learning experience is not required; strong medical coding expertise and attention to detail are the primary requirements. The role includes assigning ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes, determining principal and secondary diagnoses and their appropriate sequencing, validating MS-DRG classifications, and assessing Present on Admission indicators. The coder will also contribute to AI data annotation and evaluation, investigate complex or ambiguous cases, provide quality feedback, and communicate with project stakeholders to resolve requirements or documentation issues. Candidates with relevant experience in acute care, teaching hospitals, surgical units, trauma, oncology, cardiology, or transplant services are particularly well suited.

Requirements

Active AHIMA Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) or AAPC Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC) certification.
Strong hands-on experience in inpatient medical coding and clinical documentation review.
Thorough understanding of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding systems.
Proficiency in MS-DRG methodology, diagnosis sequencing, and principal diagnosis selection.
Knowledge of POA indicators, CCs, MCCs, UHDDS definitions, and applicable inpatient coding guidelines.
Ability to interpret complex clinical documentation and accurately translate medical information into appropriate codes.
Familiarity with AHA Coding Clinic guidance and current official coding standards.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to work independently, follow detailed instructions, and consistently deliver accurate, high-quality coding annotations.

Nice To Haves

Experience coding inpatient records across acute care hospitals, teaching hospitals, surgical units, trauma services, oncology, cardiology, or transplant services.
Experience handling complex clinical cases, reviewing detailed operative documentation, resolving coding ambiguities, and validating DRG assignments.
Experience with AHA Coding Clinic interpretation, UHDDS definitions, hospital-acquired conditions, patient safety indicators, and CC/MCC identification.
Experience coding complex surgical and inpatient cases, including trauma, oncology, cardiology, or transplant cases.
Medical data annotation and quality assurance experience.
AI training and model evaluation experience.
Access to current ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS code sets, official coding guidelines, and appropriate MS-DRG grouper tools.

Responsibilities

Review inpatient records—including admission and progress notes, operative reports, consultation records, laboratory and imaging results, and discharge summaries—to identify relevant diagnoses and procedures.
Assign accurate ICD-10-CM diagnosis and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes using current official coding guidelines.
Identify principal and secondary diagnoses, apply sequencing rules, and ensure compliance with inpatient coding requirements.
Review and validate MS-DRG assignments, including identification of CCs and MCCs.
Assign and validate Present on Admission (POA) indicators.
Apply inpatient coding conventions, including UHDDS definitions, ICD-10-CM/PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and relevant AHA Coding Clinic guidance.
Identify hospital-acquired conditions, patient safety indicators, and other coding-relevant clinical details where applicable.
Annotate and validate clinical data to support AI training, model evaluation, and development of automated coding systems.
Investigate ambiguous documentation and complex coding challenges, and provide evidence-based recommendations.
Provide structured quality feedback on coding accuracy, guideline interpretation, and complex scenarios to improve annotation quality and workflows.
Communicate with project stakeholders to clarify requirements, resolve documentation discrepancies, and maintain data integrity.