Medical Support Assistant (Adv

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant works in the Business Administration Service at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, Las Vegas, NV. The incumbent's work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care, including: access, scheduling/coordinating appointments using advanced clinic access principles, collecting and updating demographic and insurance information, patient processing, and customer service.

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) Health Benefits/Enrollment Clerk works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model and performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment access to care for patients.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Coordinates administrative services for Veterans, family members, caregivers, and public, administrative, and clinical staff to ensure continuity of inpatient and outpatient care.
• When records are received, the incumbent will ensure that all necessary health/administrative information are integrated into the VA software systems for enrollment and care by scanning the documents.
• Incumbent develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care.
• Incumbent must have the knowledge to assume the role of a Transportation Specialist or Medical Support Assistant (MSA) during special projects or heavy workload, for leave, vacancies, or when the Transportation Specialist are detailed to fill-in other areas.
• Employee must have knowledge of and ability to apply policies and procedures associated with operational activities that effect workload data.
• This position provides administrative support to one or more outpatient clinics and the main hospital campus and is an integral member of the team to effectively conduct day-today administrative operations relating to veteran benefits.
• The incumbent is responsible for accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient.
• This includes updating and verifying demographic information, scheduling appointments, collecting insurance information, data entry, and notifying the patient of their new patient scheduled appointment.
• The incumbent must have knowledge of clinic procedures and regulations; basic medical terminology, skill in operating computer systems and applications, such as VISTA, ESR, BTSSS, CPRS, and Microsoft applications to accurately enter or extract information.
• Incumbent must screen/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established business processes.
• A caring, compassionate, and sensitive manner is essential when explaining benefits and processes to Veterans and their family members both in person and on the phone.
• The AMSA Health Benefits/ Enrollment Clerk participates in the daily team huddles and weekly/monthly team meetings where administrative planning and management occur, except during staff shortages for coverage.
• Determines eligibility/entitlement for benefits of all applicants using various methods including income assessments, military discharge documents including separation papers, awards, commendations, computer hospital inquiry (HINQ), Master Patient Index (MPI) Veterans Information Solution (VIS), Veteran Benefits Management System (VBMS), Defense Personnel Records Information Retrieval System (DPRIS)and other means, such as communications with VA Regional Office or VA Records Processing Centers.
• The incumbent advises the veterans of their entitlement to various medical benefits and discusses co- payment requirements of veterans in discretionary categories.
• The incumbent is responsible to explain medical co-payments, if applicable with submission and follow up of form 7131 to determine eligibility.
• The incumbent is responsible for scheduling all follow-up appointment needed from an Acute Care visit in the VistA system. Scheduling appointments must follow all scheduling guidelines. The incumbent will perform receptionist duties; customer service.
• Incumbent intervenes to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services to prevent congressional and adverse publicity.
• The AMSA Health Benefits/Enrollment Clerk will collaborate extensively with the Patient Advocate Office when there is a need to address a complaint of a patient regarding eligibility and benefits.
• The AMSA Health Benefits/Enrollment Clerk is responsible for processing Patient Data Transfers from other VA facilities for patients to receive medical services and specialty care.
• The incumbent is responsible for scanning all pertinent documentation for eligibility and identity into the applicants Medical Record File in CPRS. Ensuring the documents have full name and SSN on it and scanning under the correct date of document, Type of Document, Description of document and correct patient record.

Work Schedule: TBD
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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:

Citizenship.

Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Experience and Education.

• Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of this position; OR
• Education. One year above high school; OR
• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).Grade Determinations

:Medical Support Assistant (Advanced),GS-6Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level with Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate ALL of the KSAs below:

1. Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
3. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.
4. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
5. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Assignment. The Advanced MSA [provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinates] with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes adjustments as necessary. MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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 interest. In 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.