Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. All US Citizens

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• Selects and assigns codes from the current versions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and/or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
• Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions when choosing the most appropriate diagnosis, operation, procedure, ancillary, or evaluation and management (E/M) code to ensure ethical, accurate, and complete coding. Also applies
• Codes based on guidelines specific to certain diagnoses, procedures, and other criteria used to classify patients under the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) program that categorizes all VA patients into specific classes representing their clinical conditions and resource needs.
• Monitors ever-changing regulatory and policy requirements affecting coded information for the full spectrum of services provided by the VAMC. Timely compliance with coding changes is crucial to the accuracy of the facility database as well as all cost recovery programs.
• Performs a comprehensive review of the patient health record to abstract medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social, and administrative data to ensure complete data capture. Patient health records may be paper or electronic. The abstracted data has many purposes, for example, to profile the facility services and patient population, to determine budgetary requirements, to report to accrediting and peer review organizations, to bill insurance companies and other agencies, and to support research programs.
• Assists facility staff with documentation requirements to completely and accurately reflect the patient care provided; provides technical support in the areas of regulations and policy, coding requirements, resident supervision, reimbursement, workload, accepted nomenclature, and proper sequencing. Insures provider documentation is complete and supports the diagnoses and procedures coded. Directly consults with the professional staff for clarification of conflicting or ambiguous clinical data. Reports incorrect documentation or codes in the electronic patient health record.
• Searches the patient health record to find documentation justifying code assignment based on an expanded knowledge of the organization and structure of the patient record. Utilizes the facility computer system and software applications to correctly code, abstract, record, and transmit data to the national VA database in Austin.
• Corrects any identified data errors or inconsistencies in a timely manner to ensure acceptance in the national VA database within established timelines. Independently researches references to resolve any questionable code errors; contacts supervisor as appropriate.
• Uses a variety of computer applications in day to day activities and duties, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and Access; competent in use of the health record applications (VistA and CPRS) as well as the encoder product suite.
• Orients and instructs new personnel and/or students from affiliated health information or medical record technology programs, at the direction of the supervisor, on unit operations, coding, abstracting, and use of an electronic health record.
• Works within a team environment; supports peers in meeting goals and deadlines; flexible and handles multiple tasks; works under pressure; and copes with frequently changing projects and deadlines.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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)
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)
Telework: Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:58872-O / 58873-O / 58874-O / 58875-O / 58876-O
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

***This position currently has a Return to Office (RTO) mid-term extension (180-days). Remote work is currently authorized; however, candidates may be subject to return to office in the event policy changes or the exemption is not extended. ***

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.
• 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.

Qualifications

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: MRTC's must be proficient in spoken & written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)

Experience/Education:
Must have one year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, & the structure & format of health records
OR
Have an associate's degree from an accredited college/university recognized by the US 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 & physiology, medical coding, & introduction to health records)
OR
Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately 1 year or more that included courses in anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, & basic CPT coding. The training program must have led to eligibility for coding certification/certification examination, & the sponsoring academic institution must have been accredited by a national US Department of Education accreditor, or comparable international accrediting authority at the time the program was completed
OR
Have an experience/education combination. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education & creditable experience:

• 6 months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, general understanding of medical coding & the health record, & 1 year above high school, with a minimum of 6 semester hours of health information technology courses
• 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 US Maritime Service, under close medical & professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience provided the training program included courses in anatomy, physiology, & health record techniques & procedures. Also, requires 6 additional months of creditable experience that is paid or non-paid employment equivalent to a MRTC

Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRTC positions in VHA must have one of the below:

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

Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA as a MRTC on 12/10/2019 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.
Grade Determinations:GS4:
Experience/Education: None beyond basic requirements
GS5:Experience/Education: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS4
OR
Successful completion of 4 years of education above high school leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college/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
AND
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, must also demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to use health information technology & software products used in MRTC positions (e.g., the electronic health record, coding and abstracting software, etc.)
• Ability to navigate through & abstract pertinent information from health records
• Knowledge of the ICD CM & PCS Official Conventions & Guidelines for Coding & Reporting, and CPT guidelines
• Ability to apply knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy/physiology, & disease processes to accurately assign codes to outpatient/ambulatory surgery records, based on health record documentation
• Knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements, CMS, and/or health record documentation guidelines
• Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work, in order to complete duties within required timeframes, & the ability to follow-up on pending issues

GS6:Experience: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS5
AND
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, must also demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses & 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, & 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 & regulations on the confidentiality of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, & HIPAA)
• 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
• Comprehensive knowledge of current classification systems, such as ICD CM & PCS, CPT, & HCPCS, & skill in applying said classifications to outpatient episodes of care, and/or inpatient professional services based on health record documentation

GS7:Experience: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS6
AND
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, must also demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• 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 & care provided based on documentation in the health record
• Ability to communicate with clinical staff for specific coding & documentation issues, such as recording diagnoses & procedures, ensuring the correct sequencing of diagnoses and/or procedures, & verifying the relationship between health record documentation & coder assignment
• Ability to research & solve coding & documentation related issues
• Skill in reviewing & correcting system or processing errors & ensuring all assigned work is complete

GS8:Experience: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS7
AND
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, must also demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses & procedures for coding & to evaluate the adequacy of the documentation. This includes the ability to read & understand the content of the health record, the terminology, the significance of the findings, & the disease process/pathophysiology of the patient
• Ability to accurately perform the full scope of outpatient coding, including ambulatory surgical cases, diagnostic studies & procedures, & outpatient encounters, and/or inpatient professional fee services coding
• Skill in interpreting & adapting health information guidelines that are not completely applicable to the work or have gaps in specificity, & the ability to use judgment in completing assignments using incomplete or inadequate guidelines

References: VA Handbook 5005/122, Part II, Appendix G57

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS4 to GS8

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive & Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.