Inpatient Reimbursement Coding Specialist

Hiring Department: Health Information Management – Location: Chicago, IL – Workplace Type: Remote

About the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health)

UI Health provides comprehensive care, education, and research to the people of Illinois and beyond. A part of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), UI Health comprises a clinical enterprise that includes a Joint Commission-accredited tertiary care hospital and outpatient clinics, and the Mile Square Health Center network of federally qualified health centers. It also includes the seven UIC health science colleges: the College of Applied Health Sciences; the College of Dentistry; the School of Public Health; the Jane Addams College of Social Work; and the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing, including regional campuses in Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, and Urbana. UI Health is dedicated to the pursuit of health equity.

Responsibilities

• Sequence and assign ICD-10-CM/PCS diagnosis and procedure codes to complex inpatient visits by following coding guidelines.
• Interpret medical documentation to determine the principal diagnosis and procedure codes and assign the correct Present on Admission (POA) indicator to all codes.
• Assign the correct Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) and All Patient Refined (APR-DRG) while adhering to coding guidelines for sequencing.
• Write compliant physician queries and collaborate with Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) to clarify or resolve conflicting documentation prior to assigning final codes on inpatient accounts.
• Utilize Computer Assistant Coding (CAC) software to review medical documentation and select codes for billing and reporting purposes.
• Analyze and resolve coding denials from insurance companies and patient accounts.
• Follow internal workflows for accounts that have documentation or other errors that must be resolved before coding.
• Follow the official ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS guidelines for coding and reporting.
• Keep up to date on coding changes and other regulations that govern medical record coding and documentation.
• Maintain national standards for coding accuracy and internal standards for productivity.
• Maintain continuing education hours as dictated by certification standards.
• Maintain confidentiality of patient health information.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Current certification as a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) or Certified Coding Specialist—Physician-based (CCS-P) or Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) or Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), or current certification as a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or a Certified Outpatient Coder (COC) by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) (formerly CPC-H certification).
• One (1) year/twelve (12) months of work experience comparable to that performed at the Reimbursement Coding Representative level of this series or in other positions of comparable responsibility.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 2 years of experience coding inpatient accounts at an acute care, preferably an academic hospital that has a complex case mix index (CMI) with medical services such as transplant, neurosurgery, oncology, vascular surgery, and cardiology.
• Ability to collaborate with Clinical Documentation Specialists to assist with clarification of documentation for complete and accurate coding.
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS).

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Tuition waivers for employees and dependents

Pay

$26.09 - $50.80 / hourly

Schedule

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday