Employee will independently manage the San Juan Caribbean VA Healthcare System (VACHS) Beneficiary Travel Program. The Beneficiary Travel program provides transportation at Government expenses to beneficiaries and their attendants traveling to and from VA facilities and other places for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care.

Duties

Process mileage reimbursement claims, coordination of special mode transportation and processing all other costs associated with travel of patients to receive care. Makes special arrangements per physician documentation according to traveler's medical condition and/or preference with a high priority emphasis on SCI (spinal cord injury), TBI (traumatic brain injury), and OEF/OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom) patients. Corresponds with physician, traveler, and vendor to determine the most dependable and economical mode of transportation. Receives on a daily basis all Special Mode Transportation requests (new referrals and renewals for the different mode of transportation). Arranges all modes of transportation via ambulance, wheelchair van, air ambulance, commercial airlines or VA station drivers and vehicles (Veterans Transportation Service -VTS). Determines method of payment for authorized and unauthorized ambulance claims submitted for consideration. 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 fund control point for reference. Prepares appropriate documentation for traveler according to government rates or substantial rates. Documents and prepares statistical ambulance reports to supervisor upon request for fiscal year budget. Maintains and controls filing system in accordance with VA regulations. Reviews requests for reimbursement of travel costs, assures compliance with regulations and procedures, reconciles vouchers, and prepares certifications for payment. Contacts external personnel to the agency for the obtainment of services, sharing of information and authorization, clarification or denial of payment. Balances, reconciles, and adjusts invoices for payment. Perform audits and special projects reviews, when needed. Receives invoices directly from hired vendors, for payments of transportation services. Certifies that invoices received are in accordance to the current price list approved by the station and/or current contract services prices. Forwards all invoices certified for payment to Finance Service for processing. Writes or selects appropriate letters explaining disposition of unauthorized travel claims. Assures accuracy of all patient funds transactions recorded, including all deposits and withdrawals, and can be held financially accountable to correct any errors made by the employee. Initiates the recovery of improper payment made to the beneficiary or contracted vendor. Identifies incorrect payment and forward the information to the supervisor for investigation and bill of collections, if applies. Explains regulatory guidelines to beneficiaries when submitting any unauthorized ambulance claims to the VA Medical Center for consideration of payment. Determines when a waiver from the deductible is needed when processing mileage reimbursements. Access 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. Assures that all appropriate VA forms are used correctly and regulations followed. Interviews and explain the rules and procedures for the Special Mode Transportation Program to patients and family member either in person or by telephone. Utilizes all current available software tools to perform the full scope of a Voucher Examiner: Beneficiary Travel (BT)Dashboard, VISTA BT Package options, Appointment Management, Scheduling System, Invoice Payment Processing System {IPPS), Special Mode Transportation Tracker and Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Communicates and interacts with patients in a manner which is appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patients. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday (7:30am - 4:00pm) Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Voucher Examiner/PD672-12667-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/31/2023. 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. 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:Process mileage reimbursement claims, coordination of special mode transportation and processing all other costs associated with travel of patients to receive care. Process mileage reimbursement claims, coordination of special mode transportation and processing all other costs associated with travel of patients to receive care. Arranges all modes of transportation via ambulance, wheelchair van, air ambulance, commercial airlines or VA station drivers and vehicles (Veterans Transportation Service -VTS). Prepares appropriate documentation for traveler according to government rates or substantial rates. Documents and prepares statistical ambulance reports to supervisor upon request for fiscal year budget. Maintains and controls filing system in accordance with VA regulations. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR 1. Must be proficient in spoken and written English language. 2. Must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish language. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: AuditingComputer SkillsFinancial ManagementGrants Management Laws, Regulations, and GuidelinesTransportation 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.


Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Vilnalys Irizarry-Brisueno
• Phone: (939) 227-1856
• Email: [email protected]