Summary The incumbent serves as a Transportation Assistant - Beneficiary Travel Assistant acts as primary contact to Veterans for transportation needs. The incumbent in this position will be required to have an overall knowledge of the organization, its mission, goals and impact on patients, personnel, community, and the nation. Responsibilities The Transportation Assistant will serve as a primary contact for Veterans, doctors, nurses and administrative staff to arrange travel for eligible Veterans to appointments and residence when appropriate, using laws and regulations to distinguish/ensure reimbursements are legitimate or if fraudulent activity is being conducted by the beneficiary. The Transportation Assistant must also possess some knowledge of clinical services, related software, and programs as they relate to computing and office automation. Major duties include but are not limited to: Independently manages the Beneficiary Travel Program. Correctly determines eligibility for the Beneficiary Travel Program and process requests. Correctly determines which of several fund control points to utilize. Maintaining manual and electronic accounting records. Responsible for determining method of payment for authorized and unauthorized ambulance claims submitted for consideration. Reconciling vouchers against authorizations for accuracy prior to preparing certifications for payment. Receiving invoices for payment of transportation services and submitting documents for payment. Assisting fellow team members during peak workload times and when there are staffing shortages. Assigned to different work areas to maximize customer service. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full Time Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD11252A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/05/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Review method of payment for authorized and unauthorized ambulance claims submitted for consideration. Receives invoices for payment of transportation services. Investigates authorizations, orders, and/or utilizes the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) to review medical records, forwards for supervisory approval and submits all documents for payment utilizing appropriate control point for reference. Responsible for forwarding all invoices certified for payment to Financial Resource Management Service (FRMS) for processing. Act as liaison between vendors and FRMS for invoices pending payment. Writes or selects appropriate letters explaining disposition of unauthorized travel claims. Responsible for explaining regulatory guidelines to beneficiaries for submitting any unauthorized ambulance claims to the VA Medical Center for consideration of payment. Correspond with contracting officer regarding technical problems or negotiation of contractual agreement Responsible for balancing, reconciling, and adjusting invoices for payment Assemble and prepare documents and prepares account synopsis for contracting officials quarterly to justify yearly ambulance contractual compliance. When required, prepares reports for cab service to Determine annual, local mobility usage. Documents and prepares statistical ambulance reports to supervisor upon request for fiscal year budget Maintains and controls filing system in accordance with VA regulations, Arranges all modes of transportation via air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus and/or contracted transport services. May correspond with physician, traveler, social worker or CBOC representative and vendor to determine the most dependable and economical mode of transportation. Prepare appropriate documentation and/or scheduling for traveler according to government rates or substantial rates. Make special arrangements per physician documentation according to traveler's medical condition and/or preference with a high priority emphasis on organ transplant patients. Secure reservations and tickets from carriers. Forward correspondence to receiving facility travel department and/or physician via itinerary or stated preferences with destination and time. May keep in touch with traveler in route to resolve potential problems. Maintains communications with receiving facilities regarding beneficiaries return travel arrangements. 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. Reconciles vouchers against authorizations for accuracy prior to preparing certifications for payment. Documents the funds deposits and withdraws of Veterans personal funds held by the VA Medical Center during brief and extended periods of hospitalization. Prepares detailed reports of funds deposited and withdrawn monthly and on demand as needed. Prepares written correspondence for discharged Veterans with funds remaining on deposit and works with financial resources management service to ensure funds are returned to Veterans or next of kin for those who are deceased. The incumbent communicates and interacts with patients in a manner which is appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. Incumbent must adhere to fire, safety, and security requirements. Use reports or other data to monitor the status of transportation actions. In the performance of official duties, the employee has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data which must be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy , and VHS&RA policy. The employee is responsible for protecting those data from unauthorized release of form loss. alteration. or unauthorized deletion and following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files and uses ADP security as set out in the computer access agreement which the employee signs. The employee will have regular and recurring contact with personnel external to the agency for the obtainment of services , sharing of information and authorization , clarification or denial of payment assures that all appropriate VA forms are used correctly and regulations followed. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Oral Communication Problem Solving Technical Competence 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. Note: 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires no special physical demands, but will require some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or sitting. 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/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
