Supervisory Medical Records Technician (Coder)
This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section of the Health Administration Service (HAS) at the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center. MRTs (Coder) 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. 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. Supervisory MRTs (Coder) are responsible for supervising coding staff at the facility level. Supervisory MRTs (Coder) must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder). 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. The supervisory coder is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of coding staff. They are responsible for program management of a coding section/unit to ensure performance monitors are established and met. They perform a full range of supervisory responsibilities, to include evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, approving sick and annual leave requests, identifying educational or training needs, resolving employee complaints, and taking disciplinary actions, when necessary. They inform higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload. They recommend employees for promotions, reassignments, recognitions, retention or release of probationary employees, or other changes of assigned personnel. They make decisions on the selection of employees for vacant or new positions. They serve as an expert coding resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of all coding. They collaborate with revenue, compliance, and other departments to support coding accuracy that is consistent with the official guidelines for coding and reporting. They resolve claim edits referred to coding management and monitor reports for outstanding services, rejects, or uncoded episodes of care for inpatients and/or outpatients. The supervisory coder ensures claim denials related to coding errors are resolved, and/or daily coding rejects are corrected for accurate billing and data collection. They provide education to clinical and coding staff. They assess current audit findings and evaluate impact to coding and documentation practices. They oversee the reporting of coding and documentation audit results to leadership. They collect and prepare data for studies involving inpatient stays and outpatient encounters for clinical evaluation purposes, prepare and maintain a variety of complex records and daily, monthly, or on demand reports, as requested. The supervisory coder creates and monitors outpatient reports, inpatient case mix reports, top DRGs, and key performance indicators to identify patterns, trends, and variations. They investigate and evaluate potential causes for changes or problems and collaborate with the appropriate staff to effect resolution or explain variances. They participate in the formulation of objectives and strategies utilizing coded data to support goals for patient care, teaching, research, and optimizing management of resources. Work Schedule:
Monday to Friday 8am to 4:
30pm Telework:
Not available Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/17/2020. Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. 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:
Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Required Certification specified in the Grade section. In addition to the certification, applicants must also possess one of these 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 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 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). Grade Determinations GS-10:
To qualify at the GS-10, you must have at least one (1) full year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-09) grade level. This creditable experience includes:
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. Lead MRTs (Coder) must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder). Lead MRTs (Coder) review coding and assist MRTs (Coder) in ensuring timeliness and improving coding accuracy; provide coding guidance to various levels of staff to promote consistency in practice and compliance with coding rules and regulations; initiate, prepare, and maintain various reports, and analyze data; and may also coordinate, assign, and monitor workflow. They provide input for performance evaluations and hiring. They orient and instruct new coding personnel and/or students on coding, abstracting, and use of the electronic health record and encoder software. They ensure audit findings and claim denials related to coding errors are resolved and/or daily coding rejects corrected for accurate billing and data collection. They monitor trends and/or changes in regulatory and policy requirements affecting coding practices and identify educational needs. They develop coding training materials and present a curriculum encompassing ongoing training initiatives. They provide assistance with coding inquiries from providers, MRTs (Coder), billers, and other facility staff. In addition to the required experience above, the candidate must clearly demonstrate the following KSAs on their resume:
i. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, to include recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work to ensure duties are completed in an accurate and timely fashion. ii. Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined). iii. Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. iv. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. v. Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats. Certification. Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level through AHIMA or AAPC. This is considered a higher-level health information management or coding certification and is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA or AAPC. However, current mastery level certifications include:
Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based (CCS-P), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC). You must upload your certification to your application to receive credit. Preferred
Experience:
Previous Coding supervisory experience is preferred. References:
VA HANDBOOK 5005/122, PART II, APPENDIX G57, revised Dec 10, 2019, MRT Coder-Outpatient and Inpatient The full performance level of this occupational series is GS-8. This position is ABOVE the full performance level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-10. Since this position is above the full performance level, Grandfathering Provision does not apply. Physical Requirements:
Work is primarily sedentary. Employee generally sits to do the work. There may be some walking, standing, or carrying of light items such as patient charts/ records, manuals or files. Employee also extracts information from computer systems which requires ability to utilize keyboards or other similar devices.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
Monday to Friday 8am to 4:
30pm Telework:
Not available Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/17/2020. Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. 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:
Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Required Certification specified in the Grade section. In addition to the certification, applicants must also possess one of these 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 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 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). Grade Determinations GS-10:
To qualify at the GS-10, you must have at least one (1) full year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-09) grade level. This creditable experience includes:
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. Lead MRTs (Coder) must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder). Lead MRTs (Coder) review coding and assist MRTs (Coder) in ensuring timeliness and improving coding accuracy; provide coding guidance to various levels of staff to promote consistency in practice and compliance with coding rules and regulations; initiate, prepare, and maintain various reports, and analyze data; and may also coordinate, assign, and monitor workflow. They provide input for performance evaluations and hiring. They orient and instruct new coding personnel and/or students on coding, abstracting, and use of the electronic health record and encoder software. They ensure audit findings and claim denials related to coding errors are resolved and/or daily coding rejects corrected for accurate billing and data collection. They monitor trends and/or changes in regulatory and policy requirements affecting coding practices and identify educational needs. They develop coding training materials and present a curriculum encompassing ongoing training initiatives. They provide assistance with coding inquiries from providers, MRTs (Coder), billers, and other facility staff. In addition to the required experience above, the candidate must clearly demonstrate the following KSAs on their resume:
i. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, to include recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work to ensure duties are completed in an accurate and timely fashion. ii. Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined). iii. Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. iv. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. v. Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats. Certification. Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level through AHIMA or AAPC. This is considered a higher-level health information management or coding certification and is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA or AAPC. However, current mastery level certifications include:
Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based (CCS-P), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC). You must upload your certification to your application to receive credit. Preferred
Experience:
Previous Coding supervisory experience is preferred. References:
VA HANDBOOK 5005/122, PART II, APPENDIX G57, revised Dec 10, 2019, MRT Coder-Outpatient and Inpatient The full performance level of this occupational series is GS-8. This position is ABOVE the full performance level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-10. Since this position is above the full performance level, Grandfathering Provision does not apply. Physical Requirements:
Work is primarily sedentary. Employee generally sits to do the work. There may be some walking, standing, or carrying of light items such as patient charts/ records, manuals or files. Employee also extracts information from computer systems which requires ability to utilize keyboards or other similar devices.
- Department:
0675 Medical Records Technician - Salary Range:
$58,260 to $75,740 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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