Coding Specialist I

Summary

Join Northwestern Medicine as a Coding Specialist I and contribute to our patient-first approach. You will perform CPT and ICD-10 coding by abstracting medical records, focusing on Evaluation and Management services. Responsibilities include reviewing medical records, assigning appropriate codes, providing documentation feedback to physicians, training staff, and resolving coding edits. You will also collaborate with other departments to address billing issues and maintain coding accuracy. This role requires a relevant certification (RHIA, RHIT, CPC, or CCS) and 0-2 years of experience. Northwestern Medicine offers competitive benefits.

Requirements

• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) or Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification or Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
• Zero (0) to two (2) years experience in a relevant role
• 94% accuracy on organization's coding test

Responsibilities

• Utilizes technical coding expertise to review the medical record thoroughly, utilizing all available documentation to abstract and code physician professional services and diagnosis codes (inpatient admissions, bedside procedures, and/or diagnostic services)
• Follows Official Guidelines and rules in order to assign appropriate CPT, ICD10 codes and modifiers with a minimum of 95% accuracy
• Provides documentation feedback to physicians
• Maintains coding reference information
• Trains physicians and other staff regarding documentation, billing and coding for their specialty
• Reviews and communicates new or revised billing and coding guidelines and information with providers and their assigned specialty
• Attends meetings and educational roundtables, communicates pertinent information to physicians and staff
• Resolves pre-accounts receivable edits. Identifies and reports repetitive documentation problems as well as system issues
• Makes appropriate changes to incorrectly billed services, adds missing unbilled services, provides missing data as appropriate, corrects CPT and ICD10 codes and modifiers. Adds MBO tracking codes as needed
• May collaborate with Patient Accounting, PB Billing, and other operational areas to provide coding reimbursement assistance; helps identify and resolve incorrect claim issues and may assist with drafting letters in order to coordinate appeals
• May work with Revenue Cycle staff and Account Inquiry Unit staff as requested, assists in obtaining documentation (notes, operative reports, etc.). Provides additional code and modifier information
• Meets established minimum coding productivity and quality standards for each encounter type based on type of service coded
• May perform other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Associate's degree in a Health Information Management program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
• Previous experience with physician coding

Benefits

From tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits