Contact Representative

Job Title: Contact Representative

Department: Department Of Veterans Affairs

Agency: Veterans Health Administration

Job Announcement Number: KB-11-RGo-458223

SALARY RANGE:	$33,013.00 - $47,837.00 /year
OPEN PERIOD:	Monday, April 11, 2011 to Wednesday, April 13, 2011
SERIES & GRADE:	GS-0962-05/06
POSITION INFORMATION:	Full Time Career/Career Conditional
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:	06
DUTY LOCATIONS:	5 vacancies - Vancouver, WA
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:	United States Citizens

JOB SUMMARY:

VacancyID: 458223 (Include on all documents). To fulfill President Lincoln's promise – "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" – by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to veterans? YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Every job at the VA impacts the Veterans that we serve.  You can be part of that team, helping to make sure that our Veterans receive the top-quality care they deserve. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities.  For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go tohttp://www.vacareers.va.gov/.

KEY REQUIREMENTS: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation. Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.

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Duties

Additional Duty Location Info:

5 vacancies - Vancouver, WA

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-6. At the GS-5 grade level, the incumbent performs assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. The incumbent will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-6.  Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

This position is located in the Network Payment Center for Purchased Care (NPCPC) at the Veterans Intergraded Service Network 20 (VISN-20) in Vancouver, WA.  You will be responsible for the payment of authorized and unauthorized non-VA health care claims for eight Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers providing health care to Veterans in Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

·         Advises, counsels, reviews claims and/or responding to requests regarding business processes from non-VA providers and claimants;

·         Advises and provides information  on the Fee basis Program and providing information concerning veteran eligibility for payment of non-VA care with regard to the Fee Basis Program under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs;

·         Explains pertinent legal provisions, regulations and related administrative practices and their application to specific cases;

·         Explains and advises on the basis for payment decisions and reasons for disallowance;

·         Conducts telephone interviews and creating responses to inquiries regarding the business operations of the NPCPC;

·         Composes responses to inquires in those cases where replies are required;

·         Documents contacts with providers, beneficiaries, members of the public and public officials regarding issues that are import to management;

·         Reviews claims for payment for non-VA health care submitted to the NPCPC;

·         Reviews, audits and processes non-VA health care claims to insure necessary information for claims processing present;

·         Ensures claims are processed within the Fee Basis Claims Systems.

Work Schedule:  Monday-Friday, Full-Time, 8:00am-4:30pm

***RELOCATION EXPENSES AND/OR INCENTIVES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED***

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Qualifications and Evaluations

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

To apply for this position, you must have the following qualifications:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

EXPERIENCE:

Candidates must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower graded level in Federal Service. 

Specialized experience is defined as experience that has provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of a Contact Representative).

GS-5: Examples of qualifying specialized experience are: Experience which involved conducting personal or telephone interviews; searching records or guidelines to determine answers or resolve problems; providing full explanations in response to specific inquiries relating to agency programs; explaining or assisting in preparing forms and documents needed to meet reporting requirements or to support claims or application for benefits; explaining administrative procedures and normal processing times; expediting actions on pending cases; initiating actions to resolve discrepancies and adjust agency records that may be incomplete or erroneous; and writing necessary correspondence and narrative reports of contacts.

GS-6: Examples of qualifying specialized experience are: Experience which involved providing sufficient information to enable individuals to determine the required or most appropriate actions to take to obtain benefits or privileges, to comply with reporting and disclosure requirements, or to fulfill other obligations under Federal laws or regulations; explaining the application of regulatory provisions and the basis for agency determinations in individual cases; explaining or assisting in preparing forms and documents needed to meet reporting requirements or to support claims or application for benefits; explaining administrative procedures and normal processing times; expediting actions on pending cases; initiating actions to resolve discrepancies and adjust agency records that may be incomplete or erroneous; and writing necessary correspondence and narrative reports of contacts.

A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.  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.

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE:  (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

GS-5:  Successful completion of four (4) years of education above high school level leading to a Bachelor’s degree in any field.  This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university. To qualify based solely on education alone, you must include a copy of your transcript with your name, name of school, degree earned and date, grades earned, credit hours, major(s), and grade point average or class ranking with your resume or application form.

NOTE:  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 at the GS-5 level.

GS-6:  Not applicable at this Grade Level.

COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Combinations of successfully completed undergraduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

Example:  The position to be filled is a Contact Representative, GS-5.  Qualification requirements are 1 year of specialized experience or four years (120 semester hours) of education above high school.  The applicant has 9 months of specialized experience and 75 semester hours of college.  The 9 months of experience equals 75% of the 12-month requirement.  The 75 semester hours of education is 15 semester hours beyond the second year of education (the requirement for the next lower grade level).  Credit can, therefore, be given for 15 semester hours, or 25%, of the education requirement of 120 semester hours. The applicant meets 75% of the required experience and 25% of the required education which, when added together (75% + 25%) equals 100%.  The applicant is qualified for the position.

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: 

1.     Knowledge of personal computers and office automation software.

2.     Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize work and assignment.

3.     Ability to research, interpret, apply, and explain
guidelines/regulations.

4.     Ability to communicate effectively.

5.     Ability to understand medical terminology.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications .
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.  WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.  If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: 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.  Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website:http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.  All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.
*** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. ***

Veteran's Preference:
When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of DD-214(s) showing all dates of service as well as character of service (honorable, general, etc.). Additionally, veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more must also submit a copy of their official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying their service-connected disability and/or their receipt of compensation for service-connected disability.
Veterans with service-connected disability of less than 10%, non service-connected disability, and Purple Heart recipients, as-well-as those claiming derived preference for a spouse, widow or widower, or natural mother, should refer to and submit a completedSF15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and required documentation with your application materials. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visithttp://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetsinfo.asp.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Applicants will be ranked based on four quality groups, as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

After the vacancy announcement closes, reviewed applications are evaluated against the questionnaire responses and placed in the appropriate quality group.  Qualified veterans will be afforded preference by being placed at the top of the appropriate quality group.  Qualifying veterans with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be placed at the top of the best qualified group.  The best qualified group is the first to be referred to the hiring facility for further consideration and possible interview.  The remaining groups may be referred based on the number of applicants available.

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Benefits and Other Info

BENEFITS:

Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. In addition to traditional "dollars and cents" benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help balance work and life.  For more information please visit us athttp://www4.va.gov/jobs/job_benefits/benefits.asp.

OTHER INFORMATION:

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ctap" .
VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

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How To Apply

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application (See "Required Documents" section below).  The complete Application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, April 13, 2011.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button at the bottom of this screen to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.  Be sure to upload the required documents before you submit your application.  Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.  Mailed/emailed applications will not be accepted.
Note: To change or update your application, simply reapply through My USAJOBS, before the closing date.  To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Login.aspx), select Application Status and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
If you cannot apply online:

1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire: View Occupational Questionnaire.
2. Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire:http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf .
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with all supporting documents to (478)757-3144.  Your 1203FX form must be placed on top of all materials being faxed and will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.
4. Keep a copy of your fax receipt in case verification is needed.

To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload:

1. Complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID: 458223.  You must use this fax cover sheet in order for your documents to be matched with your online application.
2. Fax your documents to (478)757-3144.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents are required:

• Resume or Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612)
• Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire
• Veterans Preference documentation such as DD-214 or equivalent, SF-15, and VA Letter, as appropriate
• Unofficial college transcript if education is used to qualify (an official college transcript will be required before being hired.)
• Use this checklist to make sure you've submitted everything. You will not be contacted for additional information.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

VHA Nationwide DEU Phone: (501)257-4134 Fax: (478)757-3144 Email: CAVHS.DEU@VA.GOV

Agency Information: VHA DEU Indianapolis PLEASE DO NOT MAIL APPLICATIONS APPLY ONLINE OR FAX ONLY Thank You, AR 00000 USA Fax: (478)757-3144

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

After the vacancy announcement closes and a referral certificate is issued, an electronic notification letter - or e-mail - will be sent to applicants who provide an e-mail address.  Otherwise, you will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service within 2 to 4 weeks.