Clinical Coder III - Department of Neurosurgery

Clinical Coder III

The Department of Neurosurgery is seeking an experienced Surgical Coder to provide specialized diagnosis and procedural coding for operative procedures and inpatient consulting services performed by our faculty in Gainesville and at Halifax Regional Medical Center. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of anatomy, medical and surgical terminology, coding practices, and insurance billing requirements. As part of the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine, this position supports a nationally recognized academic department providing comprehensive care for complex neurological conditions across adult and pediatric populations. The department combines advanced clinical care with innovative research, clinical trials, education, residency, and fellowship programs. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to a collaborative environment while developing specialized expertise in neurosurgical coding.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform highly specialized diagnosis and procedural coding for operative procedures and inpatient consulting services provided by Department of Neurosurgery faculty in Gainesville and at Halifax Regional Medical Center.
• Review operative reports, progress notes, and other clinical documentation to identify billable services and accurately assign or verify ICD-10 and CPT codes.
• Verify physician attestation statements and other required documentation to support compliant coding and billing.
• Conduct comprehensive chart reviews to ensure all appropriate services are captured and meet regulatory, documentation, and coding requirements.
• Ensure proper documentation of teaching provider involvement for services performed with residents and fellows.
• Monitor operative documentation and follow up on unsigned or missing operative records to support timely charge entry.
• Enter and maintain accurate charges for surgical procedures and non-surgical inpatient services in Epic.
• Monitor, research, and resolve TES edits and other coding or billing issues within Epic.
• Verify patient demographics, guarantor information, insurance coverage, and claim data for accuracy and resolve discrepancies.
• Establish and maintain guarantor and insurance accounts in Epic, including subscriber relationships, policy information, claim addresses, authorizations, injury information, and other required billing data.
• Verify insurance eligibility through electronic systems and direct communication with insurance carriers.
• Review encounter information and identify emergency admissions, hospital-to-hospital transfers, endovascular cases, and other encounter characteristics for statistical and departmental reporting.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director and departmental leadership to determine appropriate surgical charges and evaluate insurance reimbursement.
• Monitor and analyze denials, write-offs, reimbursement trends, and billing issues, identifying opportunities to improve revenue cycle performance and insurance collections.
• Assist department leadership in developing and implementing processes that improve coding accuracy, documentation, reimbursement, and overall revenue cycle performance.
• Research complex coding questions using authoritative resources, including professional coding organizations, federal and private payer guidelines, coding networks, and other industry resources.
• Provide coding and billing education and guidance to attending surgeons, fellows, residents, and other clinical staff.
• Keep faculty and trainees informed of changes to coding requirements, payer guidelines, documentation standards, and billing practices.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and resource for neurosurgical coding, developing and maintaining specialized knowledge of complex neurosurgical procedures and applicable coding requirements.
• Participate in monthly Coder Forum meetings to review Epic product-line performance, coding trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Conduct independent research and prepare reports and analyses related to coding practices, reimbursement, compliance, and departmental performance.
• Participate in professional development activities, including coding meetings, seminars, classes, and continuing education, to maintain current knowledge and coding expertise.
• Meet regularly with the Department Chair, Administrator, Assistant Director, and/or other departmental leaders to address coding, documentation, reimbursement, and product-line issues.
• Serve as a liaison between the Department of Neurosurgery and internal and external partners, including University of Florida Physicians (UFP), the UF Compliance Office, and other clinical, coding, and revenue cycle stakeholders.

$25.40 - $28.38 per hour

High school diploma or equivalent and five years of experience in professional medical coding, with experience in two or three clinical specialties. Appropriate college coursework or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience. Certified Professional Coder (CPC)/ American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or Certified Coding Specialist (CCS-P) required.

• Knowledge of medical terminology, surgical coding.
• Knowledge of business and office practice.
• Knowledge of Excel, and other applicable software.
• Ability to analyze financial data and able to generate understandable reports.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.