- Position Title
- Medical Records Technician - Coder In/Out
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBSU-12715584-25-MJP Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Friday, March 21, 2025 to Friday, April 4, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
2.
Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
3.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs within the VISN the position is located?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
Preferences
1.
Select the location(s) you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one location.
2.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
3.
I authorize my application information being shared with hiring managers for similar positions. I understand this option may not result in further consideration for additional positions nor will it impact my application for this announcement.
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Medical Record Technician (Coder - Outpatient) GS-0675-4/5/6/7/8 position with the Veterans Health Administration. Please select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
1.
Basic Requirement - English Language Proficiency: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
Are you proficient in spoken and written English?
Are you proficient in spoken and written English?
2.
Basic Requirement - Experience and/or Education: In order to meet the basic requirements to be a Medical Record Technician for the Department of Veterans Affairs, you must possess either creditable experience, education, or a combination of creditable experience and education. Select the appropriate answer based on your level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. (A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all of part of your qualifications on education).
3.
Basic Requirement - Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either (1), (2), or (3) below (a copy of certification must be included with application):
(1) Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
(2) Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
(3) Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS.
Please indicate your certification.
(1) Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
(2) Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
(3) Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS.
Please indicate your certification.
Grade Level Requirements for Medical Records Technician (Coder - Outpatient)
4.
GS 5 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also have one of the following:
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-4, which includes serving as an entry level MRT (Coder) and receiving close guidance from more experienced MRTs (Coder).
OR
Education: Successfully completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, with a major field of study in health information management or a related degree with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information management or technology.
Do you possess this experience or education for the GS-05 MRT?
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-4, which includes serving as an entry level MRT (Coder) and receiving close guidance from more experienced MRTs (Coder).
OR
Education: Successfully completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, with a major field of study in health information management or a related degree with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information management or technology.
Do you possess this experience or education for the GS-05 MRT?
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
5.
GS 5 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
- Ability to use health information technology and software products used in MRT (Coder) positions (e.g., the electronic health record, coding and abstracting software, etc.)
- Ability to navigate through and abstract pertinent information from health records.
- Knowledge of the ICD CM, Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT guidelines.
- Ability to apply knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy/physiology, and disease processes to accurately assign codes to outpatient/ambulatory surgery records, based on health record documentation.
- Knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or health record documentation guidelines.
- Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work, in order to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on pending issues.
6.
GS 6 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-5, serving as a developmental MRT coder and receiving guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex coding procedures.
Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
7.
GS 6 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
- Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses and procedures for outpatient coding and evaluate the adequacy of the documentation.
- Ability to determine whether health records contain sufficient information for regulatory requirements, are acceptable as legal documents, are adequate for continuity of patient care, and support the assigned codes. This includes the ability to take appropriate actions if health record contents are not complete, accurate, timely, and/or reliable.
- Ability to apply laws and regulations on the confidentiality of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)).
- Ability to accurately apply the ICD CM, Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT guidelines to coding scenarios.
- Comprehensive knowledge of current classification systems, such as ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS, and skill in applying said classifications to outpatient episodes of care, and/or inpatient professional services based on health record documentation.
- Knowledge of complication or comorbidity/major complication or comorbidity (CC/MCC) and POA indicators to obtain correct MS-DRG.
8.
GS 7 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-6, serving in a developmental position as an MRT coder and receiving minimal monitoring.
Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
9.
GS-07 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
- Skill in applying current coding classifications to a variety of inpatient and outpatient specialty care areas to accurately reflect service and care provided based on documentation in the health record.
- Ability to communicate with clinical staff for specific coding and documentation issues, such as recording inpatient and outpatient diagnoses and procedures, the correct sequencing of diagnoses and/or procedures, and the relationship between health record documentation and code assignment.
- Ability to research and solve coding and documentation related issues.
- Skill in reviewing and correcting system or processing errors and ensuring all assigned work is complete.
- Ability to abstract, assign, and sequence codes, including complication or comorbidity/major complication or comorbidity (CC/MCC), and POA indicators to obtain correct MS-DRG.
10.
GS 8 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-7, serving as a developmental MRT coder and receiving minimal monitoring.
Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
Do you meet the experience requirements as described above?
11.
GS 8 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Do you demonstrate the KSAs as described above?
- Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses and procedures for coding and to evaluate the adequacy of the documentation. This includes the ability to read and understand the content of the health record, the terminology, the significance of the findings, and the disease process/pathophysiology of the patient.
- Ability to accurately perform the full scope of outpatient coding, including ambulatory surgical cases, diagnostic studies and procedures, and outpatient encounters, and inpatient facility coding, including inpatient discharges, surgical cases, diagnostic studies and procedures, and inpatient professional services.
- Skill in interpreting and adapting health information guidelines that are not completely applicable to the work or have gaps in specificity, and the ability to use judgment in completing assignments using incomplete or inadequate guidelines.
RESUME REMINDER - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
- Job title
- Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.