Summary This position is an outpatient medical coder who reviews patient records and assigns correct ICD-10 and CPT/HCPCS codes for surgeries, procedures, and visits. The coder checks that documentation supports the codes, fixes errors, works with clinical staff to clarify missing or unclear information, and ensures audit issues are corrected. They handle complex cases across many specialties and use various computer systems to enter and manage coding data.
THIS IS A REMOTE POSITION
Duties
Duties include but not limited to:
- Complete and accurate diagnostic and procedural coded data are necessary for research, epidemiology, outcomes and statistical analysis, financial and strategic planning, reimbursement, evaluation of quality of care, and communication to support the patient's treatment. Diagnoses and procedures will be coded utilizing the current edition of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Clinical Modification (CM) and Procedure Coding System (PCS), Current Procedural Terminology (CT), and/or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). NOTE: Coders will follow current published ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, CPT Guidelines, as well as other established industry standard coding guidance such as the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT Assistant and the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Coding Clinic.
- Applies comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, disease processes, treatment modalities, diagnostic tests, medications, procedures as well as the principles and practices of health services and the organizational structure to ensure proper code selection.
- Reviews assigned codes from the current version of several coding systems to include current versions of ICD, CPT, and/or HCPCS.
- Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions when validating the most appropriate diagnosis, operation, procedure, ancillary, or evaluation and management (E/M) code to ensure ethical, accurate, and complete coding. Applies 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 1s crucial to the accuracy of the facility database as well as all cost recovery 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. Directly consults with the professional staff for clarification of conflicting or ambiguous clinical data.
- Expertly searches the patient record to find documentation justifying code assignment based on an expanded knowledge of the organization and structure of the patient health record.
- Uses a variety of computer applications in day-to-day activities and duties, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and Teams; competent in use of electronic health record applications as well as the encoder product suite.
- Reviews, analyzes and reports performance monitors for inpatient, outpatient, VERA and Non-VA Medical Care (purchased care) coding.
- Audits accuracy and completeness of assigned ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes, MS-DRG, POA status, and discharge disposition values for inpatient health records. Audits accuracy and completeness of assigned of ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS codes, including appropriate E/M assignment and modifier usage for outpatient health records. Audit function includes evaluation of clinical documentation to support optimal code assignment.
- Reviews coding and assist coders in improving coding accuracy; provides coding guidance to various levels of staff to promote consistency in practice and compliance with coding rules and regulations; initiates various reports and analyzes data.
- Facilitates improved overall quality, completeness, and accuracy of coded data. Ensures the accuracy and completeness of clinical information used for measuring and reporting physician and medical center outcomes with continuing education to all members of the patient care team on an ongoing basis.
- Responsible for performing audits of coded data, developing criteria, collecting data, graphing, trending, and analyzing results, creating reports, and communicating in writing and/or in person to appropriate leadership and groups.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. Work hours are subject to change based on agency needs.
Virtual: 100%
Functional Statement # 60074F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: No
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not requiredQualifications 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.
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.
- 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
- 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,
- 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,
- 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).
- Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VA must have either (1), (2), or (3):
- Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
- Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
- Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS
NOTE: Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level; however, for clinical documentation improvement specialist assignments, a clinical documentation improvement certification may be substituted for a mastery level certification.
Assignment: For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Outpatient CDISs must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder-Outpatient). CDISs serve as the liaison between health information management and clinical staff. They are responsible for facilitating improved overall quality, education, completeness, and accuracy of health record documentation through extensive interaction with clinical, coding, and other associated staff to ensure clinical documentation supports services rendered to patients, appropriate workload, and resource allocations. They review documentation and facilitate modifications to the health record to ensure accurate complexity of care and utilization of resources. They identify opportunities for documentation improvement by ensuring that diagnoses and procedures are documented to the highest level of specificity, accurately address all acute and 20 chronic conditions, and reflect the true health status of patients. They recommend changes and/or updates to medical center policy pertaining to clinical documentation improvement. They serve as a technical expert in health record content and documentation requirements. They query clinical staff to clarify ambiguous, conflicting, or incomplete documentation. They review appropriateness of and responses to queries through review of query reports. They are responsible for performing reviews of the health record documentation, developing criteria, collecting data, graphing and analyzing results, creating reports, and communicating orally and/or in writing to appropriate leadership and groups. They obtain appropriate corrective action plans from responsible clinical service directors and recommend improvements or changes in documentation practices when applicable. They adhere to established documentation requirements as outlined by accrediting agencies guidelines, regulations, policies, and medical-legal requirements. They monitor trends in the industry and/or changes in regulations that could or should impact coding and documentation practices and identify who may require education. 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.)
Grade Determinations:
Medical Records Technician Outpatient (Coder) Auditor, GS-09GS-8(Mastery Level)
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:1. Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined).
- Ability to research and solve complex questions related to coding conventions and guidelines in an accurate and timely manner.
- Ability to review coded data and supporting documentation to identify adherence to applicable standards, coding conventions and guidelines, and documentation requirements.
- Ability to format and present audit results, identify trends, and provide guidance to improve accuracy.
- Skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with individuals at all organizational levels.
Preferred Experience: Experience performing the duties of a MRT coder in a healthcare setting. Knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT. and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined)Experience reviewing coded data and supporting documentation to identify adherence to applicable standards, coding conventions and guidelines, and documentation requirements. Strong computer skills, particularly with Microsoft Office and Excel applications and other relevant software. Experience with the 3M coding and reimbursement system. Clear and concise communication is necessary to explain findings to physician coders, and other healthcare professionals.
References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G57, Medical Records Technician Qualification Standards.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8.
Physical Requirements: Position is sedentary. Duties require extensive use of fingers to perform keyboarding and the ability to hear requests by phone and in person. Vision must be adequate to read and prepare documents. Education 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/.Requirements
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- 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.How you will be evaluated 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.How to apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/27/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13111182.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Other information Receiving Service Credit for 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.
