Inpatient Coder II, HB Coding, Full-time, Days (Remote - Must reside in IL, IN, IA, WI, MO, OH, MI, or FL - Sign-on bonus eligible)
Job Overview
Location
Chicago
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Other
Date Posted
January 8, 2026
Full Job Description
đź“‹ Description
- • Serve as the definitive coding and reimbursement authority for complex inpatient acute-care discharges across a multi-state health system, translating intricate clinical narratives into precise ICD-10-CM diagnosis and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes that safeguard millions of dollars in legitimate reimbursement.
- • Own a caseload with an average Case Mix Index of 2.2609—significantly higher than routine inpatient cases—where every chart tells the story of critically ill patients with multiple comorbidities, advanced surgical interventions, and high-acuity conditions such as multi-system organ failure, complex oncology procedures, and major trauma.
- • Conduct meticulous record reviews that integrate provider documentation, Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) nurse findings, Computer-Assisted Coding (CAC) autosuggestions, and real-time queries to ensure every secondary diagnosis is accurately captured, sequenced, and flagged with the correct Present on Admission (POA) indicator for quality metrics, risk adjustment, and public-reporting programs.
- • Partner with CDI colleagues on roughly 45 % of discharges to finalize MS-DRG or APR-DRG assignments, proactively educating the team on evolving Coding Clinics, regulatory bulletins, and Official Guidelines so that documentation gaps are closed before the bill drops and compliance risk is minimized.
- • Validate Discharge Disposition codes by cross-referencing Discharge Planning notes and nursing flow sheets, protecting revenue integrity under Medicare’s Post-Acute Care Transfer Policy and preventing costly claim reprocessing or denials.
- • Sequence up to 24 diagnosis fields using expert knowledge of MS-DRGs, APR-DRGs, and AHRQ Elixhauser risk-adjustment methodologies to optimize both reimbursement and Northwestern Medicine’s standing in national rankings such as U.S. News & World Report.
- • Author persuasive, evidence-based appeal letters that rebut payer DRG downgrades, leveraging deep clinical insight and authoritative coding references to overturn denials and recover rightful revenue.
- • Resolve real-time Nosology Messages, Coding Validation Warnings, and CAC-generated alerts with surgical precision, ensuring every coded record passes internal and external audit scrutiny.
- • Consistently exceed department benchmarks for productivity (measured in weighted charts per hour) while maintaining ≥ 95 % coding accuracy, as validated by quarterly internal audits and annual external payer reviews.
- • Contribute to enterprise-wide coding education by developing tip sheets, lunch-and-learn sessions, and targeted feedback for CDI staff, residents, and attending physicians, fostering a culture of compliant, high-quality documentation.
- • Stay ahead of regulatory change by monitoring CMS, AHIMA, and AHA updates, then cascading critical insights to the coding and CDI teams within 24 hours of release.
- • Work 100 % remotely from one of eight approved states (IL, IN, IA, WI, MO, OH, MI, or FL) while remaining fully integrated with a collaborative virtual team that meets daily via Microsoft Teams, shares best practices in real time, and celebrates collective wins.
- • Leverage cutting-edge technology including 3M 360 Encompass, Epic CAC, and NM’s proprietary analytics dashboards to streamline workflows, identify denial trends, and prioritize high-impact cases.
- • Champion patient care indirectly by ensuring accurate severity-of-illness portrayal, which drives appropriate resource allocation, quality bonuses, and public transparency of outcomes.
🎯 Requirements
- • AHIMA or AAPC credential (RHIA, RHIT, CCS, or CIC) plus a minimum of three years of high-complexity inpatient ICD-10-CM/PCS coding experience with documented Case Mix Index ≥ 2.0
- • Demonstrated mastery of Official ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Guidelines, Coding Clinics, MS-DRG and APR-DRG logic, and POA reporting rules
- • Ability to interpret complex clinical documentation covering advanced anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and disease processes without onsite physician support
- • Residency in one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, or Florida
- • Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management or related field; Epic and 3M 360 Encompass experience; prior authorship of successful DRG appeal letters
🏖️ Benefits
- • $7,500 sign-on bonus paid in two installments—half at 90 days, half at 12 months
- • Fully remote, flexible daytime schedule with no weekends, holidays, or call requirements
- • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage starting day one, plus employer-funded HSA contributions
- • 401(k) with 6 % dollar-for-dollar match, immediate vesting, and optional Roth elections
- • Annual CE stipend, free access to AHIMA/AAPC webinars, and paid time to sit for specialty certifications
Skills & Technologies
Onsite
About Northwestern Medicine
Northwestern Medicine is a Chicago-based, nonprofit academic health system uniting 11 hospitals, 200+ outpatient sites, 5,000 physicians, and 40,000 employees with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine to deliver nationally ranked, research-driven care across greater Chicagoland and to patients from all 50 states and 100+ countries.
