Remote Medical Coder

Remote Medical Coder

This Position Is Contingent Upon Bid Award

Work Location: Fully Remote – United States Supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs – Veterans Health Administration (VHA) VISN 21 facilities.

Citizenship Requirements: Must be a U.S. Citizen.

Clearance Requirements: Must successfully complete required background investigation and VA suitability requirements for access to Government systems and information.

Type of Employment: Full-Time Contractor Position with W-2 employment through Fidelity Partners.

Work Arrangement: Fully Remote. All work must be performed within the United States.

Period of Performance: October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031.

Estimated Compensation: $27.93 per hour.

Paid Time Off: Up to 80 hours per year, accruing from the date of hire.

Sick Leave: Up to 56 hours per year, accruing from the date of hire.

Paid Federal Holidays: Eleven (11) paid Federal holidays.

The Remote Medical Coder will provide professional medical coding, abstracting, validation, and data-entry services in support of Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration VISN 21 facilities.

The Medical Coder will review electronic health record documentation and accurately assign diagnosis and procedure codes for inpatient, outpatient, surgical, professional fee, prosthetic, and ancillary healthcare services. The position requires strict adherence to VHA coding guidelines, official national coding standards, quality requirements, productivity expectations, and applicable privacy and information-security requirements.

The position is fully remote and will support VISN 21 operations according to assigned workload, coding deadlines, and applicable facility business hours.

Regular VISN 21 business hours are generally aligned with Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Medical Coders must remain available during assigned work hours and meet all established productivity and turnaround-time requirements.

Minimum of two (2) years of professional medical coding experience using ICD, CPT, and HCPCS code sets.

Formal training in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, pathology and disease processes, pharmacology, health record format and content, reimbursement methodologies, and current coding classification systems.

Demonstrated knowledge of ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, HCPCS, and applicable Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding guidelines.

Knowledge of inpatient, outpatient, surgical, professional fee, and ancillary service coding.

Ability to accurately interpret clinical documentation and assign diagnosis and procedure codes to the highest level of specificity supported by the medical record.

Ability to utilize electronic health records, coding applications, and encoder systems.

Must maintain a minimum 97% coding accuracy rate while meeting established productivity and turnaround requirements.

Must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Prior VA or VHA medical coding experience is preferred.

Candidates must possess and maintain at least one current and active coding credential accepted under the contract:

• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
• Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
• Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P)
• Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
• Certified Professional Coder – Hospital (CPC-H)

AAPC credential holders must satisfy applicable ICD-10 proficiency requirements.

Review electronic health records and accurately assign diagnosis and procedure codes for inpatient, outpatient, surgical, professional fee, prosthetic, and ancillary healthcare services.

Assign and validate ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, and HCPCS codes based on documented services.

Abstract required clinical and administrative information and enter data into applicable VHA coding and electronic health record systems.

Apply current Official Coding Guidelines, VHA Coding Guidelines, National Correct Coding Initiative requirements, and applicable VA policies.

Ensure diagnoses and procedures are coded to the highest degree of specificity supported by provider documentation.

Review documentation for completeness, consistency, and coding compliance.

Obtain coding and documentation clarification through established provider-query procedures when documentation is conflicting, ambiguous, incomplete, or nonspecific.

Assign appropriate modifiers and verify that multiple CPT codes are not components of a more comprehensive procedure.

Identify documentation that does not substantiate assigned codes, duplicate encounters, and encounters created in error.

Review inpatient records and accurately abstract diagnoses, procedures, surgeries, and other required data.

Code outpatient encounters, diagnostic services, ambulatory procedures, surgeries, anesthesia, pathology, and other assigned services.

Review and re-evaluate coded data when questioned due to billing edits, denials, retrospective reviews, or other VA requests.

Provide appropriate coding rules and references to support coding determinations when requested.

Utilize VA-approved electronic health record and coding systems to document coding decisions and communicate relevant information.

Maintain a minimum 97% coding accuracy standard.

Meet established coding turnaround times and productivity requirements.

Maintain current knowledge of annual and interim changes to ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS, VHA Coding Guidelines, and other applicable coding requirements.

Protect Veteran health information and maintain strict confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA, VA privacy, information-security, and records-management requirements.