Qualifications

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
• English Language Proficiency
• MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• Experience and Education 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: Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical 4 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
• 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 (1), (2), 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
• 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
• Grandfathering Provision
• All persons employed in VHA as a MRT (Coder) on the effective date of this qualification standard 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
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the journey level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but will not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• 5 (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a certification only at higher grade levels must meet the certification requirement before they can be promoted to the higher-grade levels
• (3) MRTs who are appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended, or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (4) MRTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education that meets all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• (5) Employees who are retained as a MRT under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a MRT The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-8. Grade Determinations: Medical Records Technician (Coder-In/Outpatient), GS-4 Experience or Education
• None beyond basic requirements
• Assignment
• Employees at this level serve as entry level MRTs (Coder) and receive close guidance from more experienced MRTs (Coder)
• Inpatient MRTs (Coder) select and assign codes from current versions of ICD CM and the PCS, and/or, CPT and HCPCS classification systems for inpatient facility and/or professional services
• They review record documentation to abstract all required medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social and administrative data, and query clinical staff, as appropriate, with close guidance from higher level MRTs (Coder)
• They also use various computer applications to abstract records, assign 11 codes, and record and transmit data
• They ensure audit findings have been corrected and refiled
• MRTs (Coder) may be assigned to a single facility or region, such as a consolidated coding unit
• ***Please see additional grade level requirements under Education and Additional Information sections.***