- Position Title
- MEDICAL RECORDS TECHNICIAN (CODER)
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBTA-12718299-25-JS Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Thursday, March 27, 2025 to Monday, April 7, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
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 a current or former federal employee displaced from the agency hiring for this position? If yes, confirm:
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
- you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
- you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- your grade is equivalent to or below the grade level of the vacancy; AND,
- your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
4.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a federal agency other than the Department of Veterans Affairs? If yes, confirm:
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
- you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
- you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
Preferences
1.
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).
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Medical Record Technician (Outpatient) GS-0675- 04/05/06/07/08 position. We will evaluate your application and responses to determine if you are among the best qualified for this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and education are subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task. Your responses are subject to verification. Please read the announcement in its entirety and review your responses for accuracy before you submit this questionnaire.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
1.
Are you a US. Citizen?
2.
Are you proficient in written and spoken form of the English Language?
3.
Select the appropriate answer based on your level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. This experience or education must be clearly listed on your resume to receive credit.
For this Medical Records Technician (Coder), GS-0675 position, I have:
For this Medical Records Technician (Coder), GS-0675 position, I have:
4.
All Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in all grades in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have ONE of the following:
(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.
For this Medical Records Technician (Coder), GS-0675, I have:
(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.
For this Medical Records Technician (Coder), GS-0675, I have:
Check the appropriate response for the following statements related to your knowledge, skills and abilities each grade level of MRT Coder. Your resume must demonstrate this experience and you will be asked to confirm your information during the interview process. You may be asked to provide a narrative response explaining your level of experience to each statement later in the interview process. If your answer to a question is not clearly documented in your resume, you will not receive credit for that answer. We will not make assumptions.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
5.
To qualify for GS-4: do you possess the above required education, experience and certification requirements as listed?
6.
To qualify for GS-5: Do you possess at least one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower GS-04 grade level OR have you achieved successful 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?
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
7.
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.).
8.
Ability to navigate through and abstract pertinent information from health records.
9.
Knowledge of the ICD CM, PCS Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT guidelines.
10.
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.
11.
Knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or health record documentation guidelines.
12.
Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work, in order to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on pending issues.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
13.
To qualify for GS-6: Do you possess at least one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower GS-05 grade level?
Examples of this experience includes:
Selecting and assigning codes to outpatient episodes of care, and/or inpatient professional services from current versions of ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems. Reviewing record documentation to abstract all required medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social and administrative data, and query clinical staff, as appropriate, with guidance from higher level MRTs (Coder).
Examples of this experience includes:
Selecting and assigning codes to outpatient episodes of care, and/or inpatient professional services from current versions of ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems. Reviewing record documentation to abstract all required medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social and administrative data, and query clinical staff, as appropriate, with guidance from higher level MRTs (Coder).
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
14.
Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses and procedures for outpatient coding and evaluate the adequacy of the documentation.
15.
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.
16.
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).
17.
Ability to accurately apply the ICD CM, procedure coding system (PCS) Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT guidelines to coding scenarios.
18.
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.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
19.
To qualify for GS-7: Do you possess at least one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower GS-06 grade level?
Examples of this experience include:
Coding on outpatient episodes of care and/or inpatient professional services. Assigning codes from current versions of ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems. Select and assign codes from current versions of ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems.
Examples of this experience include:
Coding on outpatient episodes of care and/or inpatient professional services. Assigning codes from current versions of ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems. Select and assign codes from current versions of ICD CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
20.
Skill in applying current coding classifications to a variety of specialty care areas for outpatient episodes of care and/or inpatient professional services to accurately reflect service and care provided based on documentation in the health record.
21.
Ability to communicate with clinical staff for specific coding and documentation issues, such as recording diagnoses and procedures, ensuring the correct sequencing of diagnoses and/or procedures, and verifying the relationship between health record documentation and coder assignment.
22.
Ability to research and solve coding and documentation related issues.
23.
Skill in reviewing and correcting system or processing errors and ensuring all assigned work is complete.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
24.
To qualify for GS-8: Do you possess at least one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower GS-07 grade level?
Examples of the experience include:
Coding on outpatient episodes of care and/or inpatient professional services. Review record documentation to abstract all required medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social and administrative data, with minimal guidance from higher level MRTs (Coder). Review and abstract clinical data from the record for documentation of diagnoses and procedures to ensure it is adequate and appropriate to support the assigned codes. Review provider health record documentation to ensure that it supports the diagnostic and procedural codes assigned and is consistent with required medical coding nomenclature.
Examples of the experience include:
Coding on outpatient episodes of care and/or inpatient professional services. Review record documentation to abstract all required medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social and administrative data, with minimal guidance from higher level MRTs (Coder). Review and abstract clinical data from the record for documentation of diagnoses and procedures to ensure it is adequate and appropriate to support the assigned codes. Review provider health record documentation to ensure that it supports the diagnostic and procedural codes assigned and is consistent with required medical coding nomenclature.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
25.
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.
26.
Ability to accurately perform the full scope of outpatient coding, including ambulatory surgical cases, diagnostic studies and procedures, and outpatient encounters, and/or inpatient professional fee services coding.
27.
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.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
28.
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement, or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled, I may be denied an appointment, or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated. I understand that responding "No" to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.
RESUME and CERTIFICATION REMINDER: 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.
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.
Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:* Grade level (applicable for state or federal jobs)* 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).