Outpatient Medical Coder

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The candidate is responsible for assignment of accurate Evaluation and Management (E&M) codes, International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnoses, current procedural terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), modifiers and quantities derived from medical record documentation (paper or electronic) for outpatient encounters. Trains and educates Military Treatment Facility (MTF) staff on coding issues and plays a significant role in coding compliance activities.

DESCRIPTION OF EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED

The candidate shall have one of the following...

  • An associate’s degree or higher in Health Information Management or Healthcare Administration;
  • A university certificate in medical coding;
  • At least 30 semester hours’ university/college credit that includes relevant coursework such as anatomy/physiology, medical terminology, health information management, and/or pharmacology.
  • Successful completion of an AAPC or AHIMA coding certification preparation course for professional services or facility coding that includes medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, health information management concepts, and pharmacology.
  • Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training, obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service under close medical and professional supervision.

NOTE 1: An accrediting institution recognized by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and/or American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) must accredit education.

NOTE 2: The candidate shall be a Registered Health Information Technologist (RHIT), Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), and/or Certified Professional Coder (CPC) CCS-P (Certified Coder Specialist – Physician (CCS-P) with the appropriate level of experience.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Position requires excellent computer/communication skills for provider and staff interactions.
  • Knowledge of anatomy/physiology and disease process, medical terminology, coding guidelines (outpatient), documentation requirements, familiarity with medications and reimbursement guidelines; and encoder experience.
  • Candidate must have ability to handle multiple projects and appropriately prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.

DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED 

  • The candidate shall have a minimum of three years of experience in the outpatient setting (physician’s office or ambulatory surgery centers) within the last five years, including assignment of E&M, CPT, and HCPCS codes. Multiple specialties encompass different medical specialties (i.e. Family Practice, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, OB/GYN, etc.) that utilize ICD, E&M, CPT, and HCPCS codes. 
  • Ancillary specialties (PT/OT, Radiology, Lab, Nutrition, etc.) that usually do NOT use E&M codes do not count as qualifying experience. 
  • Additionally, coding, auditing and training exclusively for specialties such as home health, skilled nursing facilities, and rehabilitation care will not be considered as qualifying experience. 
  • Coding experience limited to making codes conform to specific payer requirements for the business office (insurance billing, accounts receivable) is not a qualifying factor. 
  • Two years of outpatient/ambulatory surgery experience may be qualifying if received in a military medical facility.

DESCRIPTION OF TASKS

The work is primarily sedentary. Requirements may include prolonged walking, standing, sitting or bending. Carrying or lifting of medical records may be required daily. Use of one or more computer programs and monitors may be required daily.

The candidate shall...

  • Be responsible for assignment of accurate E&M, ICD, CPT and HCPCS codes and modifiers from medical record documentation.
  • Identify and abstract information from medical records (paper or electronic) for special studies and audits, internal and external.
  • Interact with MTF staff to ensure documentation is clear and supports coding assignments. 
  • Educate MTF staff through individual or group in-services and training sessions.
  • Maintain a delinquency report of missing records in order to facilitate completion of work within the required thresholds.

The candidate shall work with the following medical information systems...

  • Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA)
  • Composite Health Care systems (CHCS) and/or MHS GENESIS
  • Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS);
  • Military Filing System - by sponsor social security number, terminal digit order, color-coded and blocked filing system.
  • Military medical records, layout, sections, family member prefix designation, forms used in a MTF, and the medical record tracking procedures.
  • EssentrisTM, the client-server version of the Clinical Information System (CIS)
  • Coding Compliance Editor (CCE) Systems
  • Biometric Data Quality Assurance Service (BDQAS)

Want to apply later?

Type your email address below to receive a reminder

Apply to Job

ErrorRequired field
ErrorRequired field
ErrorRequired field
Error
Error
insert_drive_file
insert_drive_file
ErrorRequired field
ErrorRequired field
ErrorRequired field
ErrorRequired field
ErrorRequired field