Medical Coder Remote - Ambulatory Procedure - Avosys Technology, Inc.
Portsmouth, VA 23708
About the Job
Avosys is a growing integrator of professional, technological and management solutions services. Founded in 1998, Avosys provides services nationwide to Federal, Commercial, Local and State clients. We recognize the foundation of our firm is our people and we continue to rise above our competition by hiring the best.
Is it your calling to serve our Nation’s Heroes? Avosys is seeking a Remote Medical Coder to provide services to the military in Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA.
- Maximize family time with no weekend, Holiday, or on-call requirements
- Maintain work-life balance with guaranteed 8-hour shifts
- Take advantage of our competitive, comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, short-term disability, long-term disability & 401(k)
Responsibilities:
- Accurately assigns diagnosis and procedure codes for facility and professional services for Ambulatory Procedure Visit (APV), Dentalsurgical procedures, Observation, Emergency Department (ED), outpatientERSA, and Outpatient encounters IAW DHA completeness, productivity, and timeliness standards. Work may involve areas such as Laboratory, Radiology,and Dental services. Codes records with correct Ambulatory PaymentClassifications (APCs); and Relative Value Units (RVUs) in order for theCenter to receive correct reimbursement or workload credit. Performs necessarytasks within MHS GENESIS and other military coding systems to completeencounters. May be tasked with assisting with outpatient coding if available.
- Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions whenchoosing the most appropriate diagnosis, operation, procedure, ancillary,or E&M code to ensure ethical, accurate, and complete coding.
- Monitors ever-changing regulatory and policy requirements affectingcoded information for the full spectrum of services provided.
- Maintains technical currency through continuing education and trainingopportunities.
- Reviews encounter and/or record documentation to identifyinconsistencies, ambiguities, or discrepancies that may cause inaccuratecoding, medico-legal re-percussions or impacts quality patient care. Identifies any problems with legibility, abbreviations, etc., and brings it tothe provider’s attention. May perform assessments and examine recordsfor proper sequence of documents, presence of authorized signatures, andsufficient data is documented that supports diagnosis, treatmentadministered, and results obtained.
- Develops and submits a written(electronic or hard copy) query IAW DHA guidelines to the provider torequest clarification of provider documentation that is conflicting,ambiguous, or incomplete regarding any significant reportable condition orprocedure. Monitors query submission, response times, and completion.
- Educates and provides feedback to providers and clinical staff to resolvedocumentation issues to support coding compliance. Assigns accurate codes to encounters based upon provider responses to queries and reportsqueries and responses IAW DHA guidance.
- Acts as a source of reference to medical staff that have questions,issues, or concerns related to coding. Responds to provider questions andprovides examples of appropriate coding and documentation reference(s)to provide clarity and understanding. Based on contacts from the medicalstaff, identifies training opportunities and works with coding trainingpersonnel to focus on consistency and clarity of coding advice provided.
- Collaborates with Medical Coding Trainers in developing, delivering, andmonitoring initial and annual coding training to providers and clinical staffby providing guidance to professional and technical staff in documentationrequirements for coding. Responsible for assignment of accurate E&M, ICD, CPT and HCPCS codes and modifiers from medical record documentation into the Government computer systems.
- Supports DHA coding compliance by performing due diligence inethically and appropriately researching and/or interpreting existingguidance, including seeking clarification from the Lead Medical Coder,supervisor, or DHA-MCPB. Performs administrative related tasksassociated with medical records final reviews/audits and contacting variousdepartments, services, or medical staff to obtain data needed to completethe records. Complies with DHA coding compliance requirementsregarding training and reporting of potential violations.
EDUCATION:The Ambulatory Procedure Medical Coder will possess post-high school education or training from ONE of the following:
- An Associate’ degree or higher in Health Information Management or Healthcare Administration, healthcare related major, or biological science; OR
- A University certificate in medical coding; OR
- At least 30 semester hours of University/College credit that includes relevant coursework such as anatomy/physiology, medical terminology, health information management, and/or pharmacology; OR
- Successful completion of an American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) coding certification preparation course for professional services or facility coding that includes medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, health information management concepts, and pharmacology; OR
- Successful completion of a training course beyond apprentice level 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.
EXPERIENCE:
- Possess a minimum of four(4) years of medical coding and/or auditing experience in two (2) or more medical,surgical, and ancillary specialties within the past 10 years;
- OR a minimum of two (2)years of medical coding or auditing experience if that experience was in an MTF. Aminimum of one (1) year of performance in the specialty is required to qualify.
MEDICAL CODING CERTIFICATIONS:
This position requires possession 0f a current coding certification in good standing from EACH of the following categories:
- Professional Services Coding Certifications: ONE of the followingrecognized professional coding certifications: Registered HealthInformation Technician (RHIT); Registered Health InformationAdministrator (RHIA); Certified Professional Coder (CPC); or CertifiedCoding Specialist – Physician (CCS-P).
- Institutional (Facility) Coding Certifications: ONE of the following recognized institutional coding certifications: Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT); Registered Health InformationAdministrator (RHIA); Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), or CertifiedCoding Specialist (CCS). Other institutional coding certifications will beconsidered by the DHA-MCPB on a case-by-case basis.
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & ABILITIES:
- Advanced knowledge of the International Classification of Diseases,Clinical Modification (ICD-CM); Healthcare Common Procedure CodingSystem (HCPCS); and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), as used in institutional and professional services medical coding.
- Advanced knowledge of reimbursement systems, including ProspectivePayment System (PPS); Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs); andResource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS).
- Advanced knowledge and understanding of industry nomenclature;medical and procedural terminology; anatomy and physiology; pharmacology;and disease processes.
- Practical knowledge of medical specialties; medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; ancillary services (includes, but is not limited to:Laboratory, Dental, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Radiology); and revenue cycle management concepts related to medical coding.
- Practical knowledge and understanding of Government rules and regulations regarding medical coding, reimbursement guidelines, and healthcarefraud; commercial reimbursement guidelines and policies; coding auditprinciples and concepts, and potential areas of risk for fraud and abuse.Includes, but not limited to: The Federal Register, Center for Medicare, andMedicaid Services (CMS) Local Coverage Determinations and NationalCoverage Determinations (LCD and NCD), National Correct Coding Initiative(NCCI) guidance, manual, and edits, Internet-Only Manuals (IOMs), and HHSOIGpublicationsandreports.
- Practical knowledge of clinical documentation improvement and continuous process improvement processes.