Healthcare Administration Medical Coder

Healthcare Administration healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Medical Coder to join its healthcare administration and medical billing operations team. The Medical Coder will be responsible for accurately reviewing medical records, assigning appropriate diagnostic and procedural codes, supporting insurance claims processing, and ensuring compliance with applicable healthcare regulations and documentation standards in the UAE.

Job Title: Medical Coder

Job Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Industry: Healthcare Administration / Hospital Operations

Department: Medical Coding / Revenue Cycle Management / Health Information Management

The role involves medical coding for inpatient and outpatient services, day cases, observation cases, and insurance approval requests. The successful candidate will work closely with physicians, nurses, billing teams, laboratory and radiology departments, and healthcare management to ensure that medical documentation supports accurate coding, appropriate reimbursement, and efficient claims processing.

This position is suitable for professionals with experience in medical billing and coding, hospital coding, healthcare administration, medical claims processing, and insurance revenue cycle management. The Medical Coder will also contribute to coding audits, documentation improvement, coding accuracy, and the implementation of relevant Department of Health (DOH) requirements in Abu Dhabi.

Job Responsibilities

Medical Coding for Inpatient and Outpatient Services

• Review and analyze inpatient and outpatient medical records, clinical documentation, physician notes, diagnostic reports, treatment records, and procedure details to identify the diagnoses and services provided.
• Assign accurate and appropriate medical codes to diagnoses, medical procedures, treatments, and healthcare services based on available clinical documentation and applicable coding guidelines.
• Perform outpatient medical coding by assigning the appropriate Evaluation and Management (E&M), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), International Classification of Diseases (ICD), and relevant USCLS codes, as applicable to the facility’s coding and claims requirements.
• Review and code inpatient medical records to support the determination of appropriate Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes and severity classification, where applicable.
• Ensure that inpatient coding accurately reflects the documented principal diagnosis, secondary diagnoses, complications, comorbidities, and procedures performed.
• Code day cases and observation cases using relevant ICD, CPT, HCPCS, and service codes based on the clinical documentation and applicable payer requirements.
• Review inpatient and outpatient insurance approval requests and assign the appropriate diagnostic and procedural codes to support authorization and claims processing.
• Ensure that assigned codes accurately represent the medical services delivered and are supported by the documentation available in the patient record.
• Identify missing clinical information, unclear diagnoses, and incomplete procedure documentation that may affect coding accuracy or claim submission.

Medical Billing and Insurance Claims Coding

• Support the medical billing and coding process by ensuring that diagnoses and procedures are coded correctly before claims are submitted to insurance companies.
• Collaborate with the insurance billing team to resolve coding-related issues, improve claim accuracy, and reduce avoidable rejections and resubmissions.
• Review rejected, returned, or resubmitted claims to identify coding discrepancies, missing information, and documentation-related issues.
• Re-evaluate medical records during claim resubmission to determine whether codes need to be added, removed, or modified based on the available supporting documentation.
• Ensure that coding changes made during resubmission are clinically supported, appropriately documented, and consistent with applicable coding rules.
• Provide coding assistance to the medical billing team whenever required, particularly for complex diagnoses, procedures, inpatient claims, and outpatient services.
• Assist the Insurance Manager in preparing responses, feedback, and reports related to insurance audits, claim discrepancies, and coding-related observations.
• Work with relevant departments to support accurate claim submission, appropriate reimbursement, and improved revenue cycle performance.
• Review medical coding practices to help reduce billing errors, incorrect code assignments, and preventable claim denials.

Clinical Documentation Review and Physician Support

• Review medical records to identify incomplete, unclear, inconsistent, or conflicting information that may affect the accuracy of diagnosis and procedure coding.
• Communicate with physicians regarding documentation gaps, ambiguous diagnoses, and inconsistencies identified during the coding process.
• Request clarification from physicians when the medical record does not provide sufficient information to assign an accurate and supported code.
• Escalate unresolved coding and documentation concerns to the Head of Department (HOD), following the facility’s established procedures.
• Ensure that all physician queries and clarifications are appropriately documented and maintained in accordance with the hospital’s policies.
• Assist doctors in understanding the documentation requirements relevant to medical coding, insurance claims, and clinical services.
• Provide guidance to physicians and nursing staff on appropriate documentation practices for patient medical records.
• Conduct orientation sessions for new doctors and nursing staff regarding accurate, complete, and consistent clinical documentation.
• Encourage documentation practices that support patient care, coding accuracy, insurance authorization, and claims processing without introducing unsupported diagnoses or procedures.
• Follow up with physicians and relevant clinical departments regarding incomplete medical record files and facilitate timely completion of required documentation.

Coding Compliance and Audit Preparation

• Prepare medical coding records, reports, and supporting documentation for internal coding audits, insurance audits, and healthcare accreditation assessments.
• Support the facility in maintaining compliance with applicable Department of Health (DOH) Abu Dhabi requirements, coding policies, and healthcare documentation standards.
• Implement coding-related requirements and corrective actions communicated by the relevant regulatory or accreditation authorities, including applicable CCSC-related mandates referenced by the facility.
• Assist auditors during insurance and medical coding audits by providing relevant documentation, coding explanations, and supporting information.
• Coordinate with the Insurance Manager and healthcare administration team to review audit findings and support the development of corrective actions.
• Identify recurring coding errors, documentation deficiencies, and process gaps that may affect claim quality or regulatory compliance.
• Support the development and implementation of coding improvement initiatives, standard operating procedures, and internal quality monitoring processes.
• Maintain confidentiality and security of patient health information in accordance with facility policies and applicable privacy requirements.
• Follow established hospital policies, professional conduct requirements, and telephone communication standards when interacting with patients, physicians, staff, and external stakeholders.

Coding Accuracy, Revenue Optimization, and Quality Improvement

• Maintain a high level of accuracy when assigning diagnostic, procedural, and service codes to inpatient and outpatient medical records.
• Review coding activities to identify opportunities for improved documentation, accurate service representation, and appropriate reimbursement.
• Support the facility’s revenue cycle management objectives by ensuring that coded services are supported by complete and accurate medical records.
• Monitor coding discrepancies and recurring errors, and communicate improvement opportunities to the HOD and relevant management teams.
• Maintain coding productivity and accuracy in accordance with the facility’s established performance expectations.
• Participate in quality improvement activities related to medical billing, insurance claims processing, clinical documentation, and coding compliance.
• Ensure that coding decisions are based on documented clinical evidence and applicable coding guidelines rather than unsupported assumptions.
• Coordinate with healthcare professionals to address coding issues that may affect the completeness and accuracy of medical claims.

Coding Statistics and Management Reporting

• Maintain accurate statistical data related to inpatient coding, outpatient coding, day cases, observation cases, approval requests, and claim-related coding activities.
• Prepare periodic coding reports and performance summaries for the HOD and management, as requested.
• Monitor coding accuracy, documentation deficiencies, resubmission trends, and audit observations to support operational decision-making.
• Assist management in reviewing coding performance indicators and identifying opportunities for process improvement.
• Maintain appropriate records of coding queries, physician clarifications, audit findings, and corrective actions.
• Provide relevant coding data to support internal reviews, compliance assessments, and healthcare administration reporting.

Departmental Coordination and Professional Conduct

• Address coding-related queries received from the medical billing, laboratory, radiology, nursing, and clinical departments.
• Establish effective communication with doctors, nurses, medical billing staff, insurance personnel, and other healthcare professionals.
• Support the timely resolution of coding and documentation issues that may delay claims processing or insurance approvals.
• Follow hospital policies, procedures, and professional communication standards when handling telephone calls and departmental inquiries.
• Maintain professional conduct, confidentiality, and a collaborative approach while working with multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
• Perform other coding, medical billing, documentation review, and healthcare administration duties assigned by the HOD or authorized management.

Job Qualifications

Educational Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, preferably in a medical, healthcare, life sciences, health information management, medical laboratory, nursing, or related field.
• A degree or academic background in healthcare administration, medical sciences, health information management, or a relevant discipline will be an advantage.
• Candidates with formal education in medical coding, medical billing, clinical documentation, or healthcare revenue cycle management may be considered based on their experience and relevant qualifications.
• Additional professional training in inpatient coding, outpatient coding, ICD, CPT, HCPCS, or healthcare claims processing is preferred.

Professional Medical Coding Certifications

• Candidates holding a recognized Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential, such as the certification offered by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), may be preferred.
• A Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification, such as the credential offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), may be advantageous, particularly for candidates working with inpatient coding and complex medical records.
• Relevant training or certification in medical billing and coding, ICD coding, CPT coding, HCPCS coding, and healthcare claims processing will be an advantage.
• Candidates should demonstrate knowledge of the scope and limitations of their professional certification and apply coding guidelines relevant to the healthcare facility and payer requirements.
• Certification requirements may vary according to the employer, the nature of the role, and the coding systems used by the facility.

Medical Coding and Healthcare Administration Experience

• Previous experience in medical coding, medical billing, hospital coding, insurance claims processing, or healthcare administration is preferred.
• Practical knowledge of inpatient and outpatient medical coding procedures, including the assignment of diagnostic and procedural codes.
• Experience with medical billing coding workflows, insurance claims, preauthorization requests, claims resubmission, and coding-related claim rejections.
• Familiarity with CPT, ICD, HCPCS, E&M, and relevant service coding systems used in the healthcare facility.
• Knowledge of inpatient DRG coding and severity classification is desirable for candidates responsible for inpatient medical records.
• Experience reviewing clinical documentation and communicating with physicians to clarify ambiguous or incomplete medical information.
• Previous exposure to medical coding audits, insurance audits, accreditation requirements, and healthcare quality improvement processes is an advantage.
• Experience working in a hospital, multispecialty clinic, medical center, outpatient facility, or healthcare administration department is preferred.

Technical and Coding Knowledge

• Understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, common diagnoses, medical procedures, and clinical documentation.
• Knowledge of medical coding principles and the ability to assign codes based on documented diagnoses, procedures, and healthcare services.
• Familiarity with the relationship between clinical documentation, medical coding, insurance claims, and healthcare reimbursement.
• Ability to review medical records and identify inconsistencies, incomplete information, and documentation gaps that require physician clarification.
• Basic understanding of coding compliance, audit procedures, and accurate recordkeeping.
• Familiarity with hospital information systems, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Electronic Health Records (EHR), and medical billing software.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Microsoft Excel, for maintaining coding statistics and preparing reports.
• Ability to maintain accurate records of coding activities, physician queries, audit findings, and claims-related information.
• Knowledge of healthcare privacy, patient confidentiality, and secure handling of medical information.

Analytical and Communication Skills

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy when reviewing medical records and assigning medical codes.
• Ability to interpret clinical documentation and identify relevant diagnoses, procedures, and services.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for resolving coding discrepancies and supporting claims resubmission.
• Ability to communicate professionally with physicians, nurses, insurance teams, billing departments, and healthcare management.
• Confidence in raising documentation concerns and seeking clarification from physicians when coding accuracy is affected.
• Ability to organize coding workloads, meet deadlines, and manage multiple medical records and coding queries.
• Good written and verbal English communication skills.
• Ability to work independently under general supervision while following established coding guidelines and facility policies.
• Strong commitment to confidentiality, ethical medical coding practices, and continuous professional development.

Abu Dhabi Healthcare Regulatory Awareness

• Familiarity with the healthcare regulatory environment in Abu Dhabi and the documentation requirements applicable to healthcare facilities is an advantage.
• Awareness of relevant Department of Health (DOH) Abu Dhabi requirements related to medical records, coding, insurance claims, and healthcare administration.
• Understanding that coding and claims processes must follow the applicable payer guidelines, facility policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Willingness to participate in coding audits, regulatory compliance initiatives, and documentation improvement activities.
• Candidates with experience in UAE healthcare facilities, insurance claims processing, or Abu Dhabi medical coding operations may be preferred, depending on the employer’s requirements.

Key Skills Required

• Medical Billing and Coding
• Medical Records Review
• Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Knowledge
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Knowledge
• Inpatient and Outpatient Medical Coding
• ICD, CPT, HCPCS, and E&M Coding
• DRG Coding and Severity Classification
• Insurance Claims Processing
• Medical Billing and Revenue Cycle Management
• Clinical Documentation Review
• Coding Audits and Compliance
• Healthcare Administration
• Physician Query and Documentation Clarification
• Medical Terminology
• Healthcare Information Systems
• Data Analysis and Reporting

Recommended Certifications for Medical Coders

Professionals interested in developing a career in medical coding and healthcare administration in Abu Dhabi can explore the following certifications, subject to the requirements of their target employer and coding specialty.

1. Certified Professional Coder (CPC)

Provider: AAPC

The CPC credential focuses on physician-based medical coding, including CPT, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, and coding guidelines. It may be relevant for outpatient medical coding and professional fee coding roles.

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