Summary These three Medical Records Technician Coder (Outpatient and Inpatient) positions are located in the Health Information Management (HIMS) Section at the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System Center, in Leeds MA. Responsibilities Medical Record Technicians (Coder-Outpatient and Inpatient) are skilled in classifying medical data from patient health records in the hospital setting, and/or physician-based settings, such as physician offices, group practices, multi-specialty clinics, and specialty centers. These coding practitioners analyze and abstract patients' health records, and assign alpha-numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure. To perform this task, they must possess expertise in International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). MRT (Coder) may also provide education related to coding and documentation. Duties include but not limited to: Apply knowledge of medical record content, medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, diseases processes, and official coding guidelines to assign codes to the most basic and routine inpatient facility and/or professional services. Selects and assigns codes from the current versions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Clinical Modification (CM) and Procedure Coding System (PCS) for inpatient facility MS-DRG coding, and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and/or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) for inpatient professional coding. Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions when choosing the most appropriate diagnosis, operation, procedure, to ensure ethical, accurate, and complete coding. Selects diagnosis, operation, or procedure codes based on the accepted coding practices, guidelines, conventions and policy. Reviews record documentation to abstract all required medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social, and administrative data with guidance and instruction from supervisor or senior coder to develop knowledge of the organization and structure of an electronic patient record. Utilizes the facility computer system and software applications to code, abstract, record, and transmit data to the national VA database. Identified data errors are reviewed with a senior coder or the supervisor and corrections made as directed. Uses a variety of computer applications in day-to-day activities and duties, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and Access; develops use of the health record applications (Vist A and CPRS) as well as the encoder product suite. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 40 Hours of week, Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm, EST GS 04-($40674-$52,822),GS 05-($45,507-$59,153) GS 06-($50,728-$65,944) GS 07-($56,370-$73,286) GS 08-($62,428-$81,162) Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Telework: At Supervisors Discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Functional Statement #: #:F02970,F02971,F02972,F02973,F02974 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): May not be authorized Notifications: The full Performance of this position is GS-08. The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level (GS-08) without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Preferred Experience: Ideally an experienced Outpatient and Inpatient Coder who is certified via AHIMA or AAPC. VA experience is preferred but not required. Teamwork skills, tech savvy, good communicator. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination or evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Qualifications Experience and Education: (1) Experience: One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of a health records, OR, (2) Education: An associate'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 technology/health information management, or a related degree with a minimum of 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical coding, and introduction to health records); OR, (3) Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding. The training program must have led to eligibility for coding certification/certification examination, and the sponsoring academic institution must have been accredited by a national U.S. Department of Education accreditor, or comparable international accrediting authority at the time the program was completed; OR, (4) Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying for meeting the basic requirements. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and creditable experience:(a) Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, general understanding of medical coding and the health record, and one year above high school, with a minimum of 6 semester hours of health information technology courses.(b) Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service, under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to six months of experience provided the training program included courses in anatomy, physiology, and health record techniques and procedures. Also, requires six additional months of creditable experience that is paid or non-paid employment equivalent to a MRT (Coder) .AND Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS Grade Determinations: GS-04 Experience or Education: None beyond basic requirements. GS-05 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; OR, Education: 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. Ability to use health information technology and various office software products used in MRT (Coder) positions (e.g., the electronic health record, coding and abstracting software, etc.). ii. Ability to navigate through and abstract pertinent information from health records. iii. Knowledge of the ICD CM, PCS Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT guidelines. iv. Ability to apply knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy/physiology, and disease processes to accurately assign codes to inpatient and outpatient episodes of care based on health record documentation. v. Knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements, CMS, and/or health record documentation guidelines.vi. Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on ending issues. GS-06 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses and procedures for coding and to evaluate the adequacy of the documentation. ii. 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. iii. Ability to apply laws and regulations on the confidentiality of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, and HIPAA). iv. Ability to accurately apply the ICD CM, PCS Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT Guidelines to various coding scenarios. v. Comprehensive knowledge of current classification systems, such as ICD CM, PCS, CPT, HCPCS, and skill in applying classifications to both inpatient and outpatient records based on health record documentation.vi. Knowledge of complication or comorbidity/major complication or comorbidity (CC/MCC) and POA indicators to obtain correct MS-DRG. GS-07 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. 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. ii. 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. iii. Ability to research and solve coding and documentation related issues. iv. Skill in reviewing and correcting system or processing errors and ensuring all assigned work is complete. v. 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. GS-08 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i. 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 comments, and the disease process/pathophysiology of the patient. ii. 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. iii. 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Education Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases . When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
