Coding Coordinator Job Description

Where a Medical Coder assigns codes chart by chart, this role owns the accuracy pattern behind those codes across an entire hospital and physician-practice network. Compliance risk sits squarely on this desk. Working from ICD-10 and CPT coding standards inside hospital and physician-practice settings, the coordinator reviews patient records against government guidelines and flags documentation gaps for physician follow-up. Beyond the desk, findings turn into education plans that reach coders and physicians across the wider provider network, closing the same gaps before they repeat.

You will own the accuracy of coding practices across a busy provider organization, serving as the Coding Coordinator who catches documentation gaps before they reach a payer. Physicians, practice managers, and coding staff across the department all lean on this seat for the final word on compliant, defensible documentation before claims go out to any payer.

Career Impact: Auditing ICD-10 and CPT accuracy at this level opens doors toward RHIT, RHIA, or CCS-credentialed compliance and audit roles.

Business Impact: Clean documentation prevents claim denials that would otherwise cost the practice and its physicians real reimbursement dollars every month.

Growth Opportunity: Consistent audit findings can move a coordinator into coding compliance auditor, coding supervisor, or coding manager roles.

• Audit patient records on a recurring schedule to verify diagnosis and procedure code accuracy against ICD-10 and CPT guidelines.
• Review flagged or denied claims to identify the coding or documentation error behind each rejection.
• Coordinate with physicians and practice managers to resolve missing or conflicting documentation before claims go out.
• Guide coders and physicians through documentation gaps identified in daily and retrospective chart reviews.
• Develop compliance and education plans that communicate documentation standards to the coding and clinical team.
• Monitor trends across coding data to flag recurring risk areas for targeted follow-up review.
• Establish reporting on audit findings and recommendations to reduce compliance risk across the organization.
• Facilitate change processes, such as documentation form redesign, to close recurring gaps at the source.

• Bachelor's degree in health information management or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 2 or more years of medical coding or coding compliance experience, with hospital or physician-practice exposure preferred.
• RHIT, CCS, or CPC certification, or the ability to obtain one within a defined post-hire period.
• Working knowledge of ICD-10-CM/PCS, CPT, and HCPCS coding guidelines across inpatient and outpatient encounter types.
• Strong analytical skills with close attention to documentation detail across high volumes of patient records.
• Effective written and oral communication skills to resolve documentation questions with physicians and practice managers.
• Proficiency in standard office software and coding or encoder applications used for daily patient record review and reporting.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple audit and documentation review priorities at once.

• RHIA credential in addition to RHIT or CCS certification for candidates pursuing broader HIM leadership paths.
• Prior experience in a large, complex, multi-system acute care hospital setting rather than a single clinic.
• Experience preparing formal written audit reports and presenting findings to coding staff and clinical leadership.
• Background in claims or denial management within a physician network or hospital revenue cycle team.

• Coding accuracy rate, measuring how many audited charts match ICD-10 and CPT guidelines.
• Physician query turnaround time, tracking how quickly flagged documentation gaps get resolved.
• Claim denial rate tied to coding errors, reflecting how well audits catch issues before submission.
• Number of coder and physician education sessions delivered each quarter.
• Days to close a documentation gap, showing how fast follow-up requests get answered.
• Typical tools: office software (commonly MS Word and Excel); coding encoder or grouper software.

• Base Salary Range: $52,000 to $68,000 per year for healthcare coding compliance roles
• Bonus: Typically 3 to 5 percent of base salary annually, when offered by the employer
• Equity: Not typically offered in healthcare coding roles
• Health Benefits: Standard medical, dental, and vision coverage
• PTO: Typically 15 to 20 days annually, plus paid holidays
• Common Perks: Certification exam and continuing education reimbursement, plus tuition assistance for HIM coursework

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check and, where applicable, drug screening, consistent with healthcare industry standards. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodation is available for applicants and employees with disabilities upon request. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.

The Coding Coordinator leads internal audit reviews of patient records to keep diagnosis and procedure coding accurate and compliant with government guidelines. Reporting to the healthcare team, the Coding Coordinator educates physicians and practice managers on documentation gaps and drives improvement through targeted training and forms redesign.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete internal audit reviews of patient records on a regular schedule to evaluate documentation for accurate and optimal code assignment and initiate a review worksheet.
• Conduct follow-up reviews of any areas with identified trends with coding staff.
• Prompt physicians regarding missing, unclear, or conflicting medical record documentation and obtain additional documentation within the medical record when needed.
• Collaborate with practice managers and/or staff regarding interaction with physicians on documentation and to resolve physician prompts promptly.
• Ensure conformity to government-required coding policies and guidelines.
• Confer with physician coding staff to ensure accuracy of shared records.
• Participate in the analysis and trending of statistical data for specified patient populations to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Educate practice managers and assigned coders regarding specific documentation needs and coding and reimbursement issues identified through daily and retrospective documentation reviews and aggregate data analysis.
• Facilitate change processes required to capture needed documentation, such as form redesign.

Required Qualifications

• Completion of an accredited two-year program in Medical Records Technology at a technical school or college.
• RHIT or CCS credentials preferred.
• Demonstrated aptitude for quantitative analysis and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of software applications related to coding (encoder/grouper) is necessary.
• Knowledge and familiarity with personal computers.
• Excellent organizational, management, planning, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills are necessary.
• Ability to work both as a team player and independently.
• Able to identify problems and find creative, effective solutions.
• Able to balance multiple priorities.

Embedded within the employed physician network's compliance function, the Coding Coordinator owns billing compliance audits that protect coding accuracy and reduce financial risk across the network. Working closely with practice leaders and coding staff, the Coding Coordinator builds education plans, resolves claim review findings, and reports on audit outcomes to guide corrective action across the organization.

Core Functions

• Identify and assess billing compliance, operational, and financial risks within the employed physician network.
• Audit and monitor physician practices for compliance with existing policies and government regulations.
• Develop compliance and education plans, policies, and procedures that affect operations and ensure recommendations to minimize risk are implemented timely and effectively.
• Conduct internal audits to review coded and abstracted data for accuracy and quality to ensure coding compliance for the physician network.
• Prepare written reports of audit findings and recommendations to minimize risk.
• Perform general and targeted audits.
• Participate in claims review processes to identify rejected claims caused by coding or billing errors.
• Assist in the development of coding compliance action plans in response to audit findings and make recommendations as necessary.
• Provide compliance education and training as necessary.
• Assist in the development of the Corporate Integrity Annual Work Plan.
• Collaborate with appropriate colleagues and network leaders in the development of improved capabilities in the areas of documentation, coding, and compliance.
• Respond to questions regarding documentation and coding issues.
• Assist in the review of contracts for compliance issues.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of federal and state laws and regulations about billing and coding compliance within the physician network.

Qualifications & Experience

• Associate's degree in a related field.
• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• CPC or CCS certification required.
• 3 or more years of progressive revenue cycle or compliance experience, physician- or hospital-based.
• Knowledge of the Recovery Audit Contractor Program, Conditions of Participation, and OIG Work Plan.
• Strong analytical, project management, report design, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in computer and software programs including MS Office, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• High level of independent judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to multitask.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Reporting to the coding supervisor, the Coding Coordinator leads outpatient chart reviews that keep documentation compliant with official coding guidelines. Partnering with department managers, physicians, and coding staff, the Coding Coordinator resolves coding error patterns and steps in as backup coding supervisor when needed to keep reviews on schedule.

Primary Duties

• Organize, maintain, and analyze results from outpatient chart reviews for adherence to compliant documentation.
• Perform review of selected charts from a compliance review tool to validate coding accuracy.
• Provide feedback to coders and reports involving coding and documentation activities as requested by management.
• Analyze documentation and coding based on official coding guidelines.
• Generate compliance monitoring reports as requested.
• Review medical records flagged in the compliance software for patterns of coding errors and opportunities for coder or clinical education.
• Initiate corrective action to ensure resolution of problem areas identified during an internal investigation or auditing and monitoring activity.
• Serve as a technical expert or resource for department managers, staff, physicians, administration, and external customers to provide clarification on accurate and ethical coding and documentation standards, guidelines, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as back-up for the coding supervisor when needed.

Skills & Qualifications

• Associate's degree from an accredited Health Information Management program.
• CCS certification and extensive experience, or CCS with RHIT or RHIA from AHIMA.
• At least 6 months of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced mastery of ICD-10-CM/PCS and HCPCS/CPT coding systems.
• Advanced computer skills.
• Ability to perform job duties free of conflicting employment restrictions, such as a non-compete, from a prior employer.

Sitting at the intersection of quality review and revenue cycle management, the Coding Coordinator builds accuracy into every second-level coding decision that comes back from an audit or billing edit. Operating across coder education, coding manager support, and DNFC goal tracking, the Coding Coordinator steps in to code inpatient accounts whenever additional coverage is needed.

Duties

• Perform second-level coder reviews on accounts returned from coding audits and the coding or billing editor process.
• Provide coders with education and guidance on correct coding based on second-level reviews.
• Assist the coding manager and coding department with coder questions, coding reviews, and coding inquiries.
• Code inpatient accounts when coverage is needed.
• Monitor and assist the coding manager with DNFC management toward established goals.
• Attend coding education sessions and maintain coding credentials.

Requirements

• Associate's degree in Health Information Management.
• Bachelor's degree in Health Information Management.
• RHIT or CCS certification.
• RHIA and CCS certification.
• 3 to 5 years of acute hospital coding experience.
• 5 or more years of experience in a large, complex, multi-system acute care hospital organization.
• Ability to analyze coding-related reports and take appropriate action.
• Working knowledge of the MS Office suite.

A key member of the coding compliance and audit team, the Coding Coordinator leads risk-based and semi-annual quality audits of inpatient and outpatient encounters. Collaborating across coders, auditors, managers, and directors, the Coding Coordinator turns documentation gaps into targeted education and clear corrective action across the organization.

Functions

• Understand, interpret, and apply coding guidelines for coding audits.
• Audit inpatient and outpatient encounter code assignments.
• Review medical records to determine coding accuracy of all documented diagnoses and procedures.
• Review claims to validate submitted codes and abstracted data, including ICD-9/10 CM/PCS codes, MS-DRGs, CPT codes, APCs, and discharge disposition affecting facility reimbursement.
• Create clear and accurate audit findings and recommendations in written audit reports used for advising and educating coders, auditors, managers, and directors across the organization.
• Identify documentation issues, such as lacking documentation or missed physician queries, that impact coding accuracy.
• Communicate clearly, verbally and in written reports or summaries, opportunities for documentation improvement related to coding issues.
• Stay current with AHA official coding and reporting guidelines and CMS and other agency directives for ICD-9/10-CM/PCS and CPT coding.
• Complete online education courses and attend mandatory coding workshops or seminars covering inpatient and outpatient coding updates.
• Review AHA and CPT quarterly coding update publications.
• Attend internal conference calls for quarterly coding updates.

Experience & Qualifications

• Knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9/10 CM/PCS, EM, and CPT-4 coding guidelines and methodologies.
• Working knowledge of disease pathophysiology and drug utilization.
• Knowledge of MS-DRG classification and reimbursement structures.
• Familiarity with APC, OCE, and NCCI classification and reimbursement structures.
• Proven ability to consistently and accurately audit coding of inpatient and outpatient encounters.
• Strong ability to create clear and concise audit reports and maintain productivity standards.
• Ability to stay detail-oriented and work independently.
• Strong initiative and discipline in time management and assignment completion.
• Comfort working in a virtual setting under minimal supervision.
• Willingness to complete a pre-hire coding assessment as part of the hiring process.
• Ability to sit for extended periods, use a computer, keyboard, mouse, and telephone to complete audit work, and walk through hospital departments, including Emergency Department areas, as needed.
• Willingness to travel, including driving to off-site locations as needed.