Medical Records Technician (OutpatientInpatient Coder) GS-45678

This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill 1 full-time and permanent Medical Records Technician (Outpatient/Inpatient Coder) vacancy(s) at the Memphis TN Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) with Business Office Service.

The technician is assigned to the Health Information Management Section (HIMS) coding/analysis unit VAMC Memphis TN.

Outpatient/Inpatient MRTs(Coder) select and assign codes from current versions of ICD CM PCS and/or CPT and HCPCS classification systems for inpatient facility and/or professional services. Inpatient duties consist of the performance of a comprehensive review of documentation within the health record to assign ICD codes for diagnosis complications/major complications comorbid/major comorbid conditions surgery and procedures for accurate assignment of diagnosis related groups (DRG) and/or assigning CPT/HCPCS codes for inpatient professional services. They independently 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. They code all complicated and complex medical/specialty diseases processes patient injuries and all medical procedures in a wide range of inpatient settings and specialties. They directly consult with the clinical staff for clarification of conflicting incomplete or ambiguous clinical data in the health record. They must abstract assign and sequence codes into encoder software to obtain correct DRG support medical necessity resolve encoder edits and ensure codes accurately reflect services rendered. They review provider health record documentation to ensure that it supports diagnostic and procedural codes assigned and is consistent with required medical coding nomenclature. They query clinical staff with documentation requirements to support the coding process. They also enter and correct information that has been rejected when necessary. They correct any identified data errors or inconsistencies. They ensure audit findings have been corrected and refiled. They use various computer applications to abstract records assign codes and record and transmit data. MRTs (Coder) may be assigned to a single facility or region such as a consolidated coding unit.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Title/Functional Statement #: 50289-F
Preferred Experience: Inpatient ambulatory surgery coding experience.
References: VA Handbook 5005/122 Part II Appendix G57
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There is walking bending & reaching required such as for filing or locating material & carrying items such as reports documents/supplies.

• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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 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.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.

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 AAS 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 VHA must have either 12 or 3 below:
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 AND ASSIGNMENTS.
Medical records Technician Coder Outpatient/Inpatient GS-4
Experience or Education- None beyond basic requirements above.

Medical records Technician Coder Outpatient/Inpatient GS-5
Experience. One year creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
OR
Education. Successful completion of a BAS 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.
Demonstrated Knowledge Skills & Abilities In addition to the experience the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. 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.
2. Ability to navigate through and abstract pertinent information from health records.
3. Knowledge of the ICD CM and PCS Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.
4. . 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.
5. Knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements CMS and/or health record documentation guidelines.
6. Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work to complete duties within required timeframes and the ability to follow-up on pending issues.

Medical records Technician Coder-Outpatient/Inpatient GS-6
Experience. One year creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge Skills & Abilities. In addition to the experience the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to analyze the health record to identify all pertinent diagnoses and procedures for coding and to evaluate the adequacy of the documentation.
2. 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.
3. Ability to accurately apply the ICD CM and PCS Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting to various coding scenarios.
4. Comprehensive knowledge of current classification systems such as ICD Clinical Modification (CM) and PCS CPT and HCPCS and skill in applying said classifications to inpatient records based on health record documentation. Knowledge of complication or comorbidity/major complication or comorbidity(CC/MCC) and POA indicators to obtain correct Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG).
5. Knowledge of complication or comorbidity/major complication or comorbidity (CC/MCC) and POA indicators to obtain correct MS-DRG.

Medical records Technician Coder Outpatient/Inpatient GS-7
Experience. One year creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge Skills & Abilities. In addition to the experience the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Ability to research and solve coding and documentation related issues.
4. Skill in reviewing and correcting system or processing errors and ensuring all assigned work is complete..

Medical Records Technician Coder Outpatient and Inpatient GS-8
Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge Skills & Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 completing assignments using incomplete or inadequate guidelines.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to the full performance level of a GS-8.