Patient Services Assistant

To qualify for this position, applicant(s) must meet the following qualifications: English Language Proficiency – In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.-AND- SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Patient Services Assistant position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04) in Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience with the laws and regulations pertaining to determining eligibility entitlement of applicants for health care and other benefits; obtaining and reviewing insurance policies and plans; interpreting/explaining issues such as deductibles, co-payments, length of stay and other matters; and utilizing a variety of office equipment and software. (Resume(s) must clearly support the duties and experience required for this position. We will not make assumptions regarding experience.) -OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Requires four (4) years of successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Administrative Law Clerical Communications Computer Skills IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work is mainly sedentary but requires some light walking, standing, bending, and lifting. The position requires constant viewing of a computer screen and hours of keyboarding daily. Infrequent walking to various locations of the Hospital with records of patients is necessary. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
The Patient Services Assistant is in the Enrollment/Means Test Unit Section under the supervision of the Member Services Supervisor. The employee is responsible for verifying and certifying the legal eligibility of applicants seeking medical treatment and/or benefits. The position is located at the VA Medical Center located in Fargo, ND.