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The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in the Patient Benefits Department of of the Health Administration Service (HAS) at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, Reno, Nevada. Extensive knowledge of Medical Center policies and directives is required to respond to inquiries from veterans staff and other agencies regarding applying for health care eligibility etc.
01/16/2025 to 01/31/2025
$56,648 - $73,644 per year
GS 6
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
6
No
No
CBSW-12671789-25-HR
828619500
Open only to current permanent employees of the Reno Sierra Nevada Health Care System facility.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, tour of duty may vary depending upon agency needs
Telework: Available - Ad-hoc
Functional Statement #: 40215A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
The incumbent verifies eligibility and entitlement for benefits of all applicants using various methods including some income assessment military discharge documents Veterans Information Solution (VIS), Veterans Enrollment System (VES), Common Security Employee Manager (CSEM), Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) and other means of communication avenues to VA external entities. The incumbent managers catastrophe disability and hardship requests. The process of verify eligibility is complex and criteria differ from each type of benefit applied for. The incumbent advises veterans of their entitlement of multiple medical benefits and discusses copayment requirements of Veterans discretionary categories. Tact, diplomacy, and privacy are required to explain complicated laws in this area.
The incumbent accurately generates patient data card requests for Veterans applying for care using the Veterans Identification Card (VIC) system, Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) system, and other systems as necessary.
The incumbent reviews enrolled patient information to perform updates to health insurance data, income assessments, pharmacy co-pay exemptions as mandated by law. Incumbent completes all assigned applications to ensure that Veterans are enrolled timely. The incumbent is responsible for monitoring the NEAR list and scheduling new patient appointments in accordance with VHA directives, established guidelines, and local policies.
The incumbent will support the management information components of all health eligibility related programs. The support includes not only entering data and information when necessary, but also reviewing reports, records and statistical computations for accuracy and propriety. Local input is compared with the Health Eligibility Center (HEC) in Atlanta, GA and will affect data entry for encounter entries that go to Austin for workload credit. The incumbent(s) must review the Incomplete Encounter Management Module (IEMM) report to clean up any discrepancies in administrative data that would prevent the transmission of encounters. AMSAs are required to be certified by the HEC and must maintain their certification via mandatory continuing education as directed by the HEC.
Responsibilities of the incumbent (s) include meeting performance metrics, maintaining eligibility and enrollment process competencies, and current VA training in enrollment and eligibility processes.
lncumbent (s) will assist the Public Affairs Office as well as other Services at VASNHCS with community activities such as Health Fairs, Homeless Veterans Stand Downs, and Post Deployment Health Re-assessment (PDHRA). This may require staff to work outside the normal business hours to include weekends. Staff will be compensated by either compensation time or overtime for this work.
AMSAs generate the patient data cards for Veterans applying for care using the Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC) system.
The incumbent(s) will be responsible for all aspects of Decedent Affairs to assist Veterans and their families with appropriate paperwork. The incumbent(s) have frequent contact with funeral home staff to assist Veterans' families.
The incumbent(s) will perform the enrollment and eligibility functions for the Emergency Department during regular tour hours. This includes enrolling Veterans at the point of service in the Emergency Department. The incumbent(s) must alert clinical staff when Humanitarian emergency patients are seen in the department. They will enter the billing information for first and third-party reimbursement. They may occasionally be asked to assist with off tour duties in coordination with the Administrative Officers of the Day.
The incumbent(s) will perform all functions for the Beneficiary Travel office. The Beneficiary Travel program provides transportation at Government expense to beneficiaries and their attendants traveling to and from VA facilities and other places for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care. This will include correctly determining eligibility for the program, and processing requests. It will include correctly determining which of several fund control points to utilize, obligating funds, maintaining manual and electronic accounting records, performing regular reconciliations, and adjusting account balances.
lncumbent(s) reviews requests for reimbursement of travel costs for the purpose of assuring compliance with regulations and procedures, completeness, accuracy, internal consistency, and agreement with basic authorization.
lncumbent(s) may be asked to perform duties in other areas of the Patient Benefits Department and other duties as assigned.
There is no education substitution at this grade level.
Receiving Service Credit or 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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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 01/31/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12671789.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/828619500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
