Inpatient Medical DRG Coder Hospital (Remote)
A DRG coder is a medical coding professional who specializes in assigning Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital stays. DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group): It's a classification system used primarily for inpatient hospital billing. It groups patients with similar clinical conditions and resource usage into categories. Hospitals are reimbursed based on these DRG codes rather than individual services.
Responsibilities
- Review clinical documentation to assign accurate ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes.
- Communicate with physicians to clarify diagnoses and procedures through the query process.
- Utilize electronic encoder applications to assign codes in compliance with practice policies and regulatory guidelines.
- Maintain a minimum accuracy rate of 98% while meeting internal productivity standards.
- Achieve productivity expectations: Inpatient 1624 encounters per day or 23 encounters per hour.
- Complete reports and perform additional duties as requested by management from the hospital side of forms (not physician's office).
Qualifications
- Experience: 2-5 years in hospital-based inpatient (DRG) coding.
- Current coding credential: CCS (AHIMA) or CPC, CPC-H, CIC (AAPC).
- Experience with Level 1 Trauma Coding and academic/university-level cases hospital.
- Strong knowledge of federal, state, and payer regulations.
- Ability to interpret medical records, reports, and chart entries accurately.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Strong judgment and decision-making skills.
- Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
- Ability to manage workload and multiple projects effectively.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- Familiarity with EPIC and 3M Encoder systems.
Preferred Skills
- Advanced understanding of DRG reimbursement methodologies.
- Prior experience in high-volume coding environments.
Salary and Other Compensation
The hourly rate for this position is between $27.00 $37.00 per hour, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. Applications will be accepted until October 24th. This position is also eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant's applicable plans.
Benefits
Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:
- Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
- Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
- 401(k) plan and contributions
- Long-term/Short-term Disability
- Paid Parental Leave
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.