The work is applying expert knowledge of Purchased/Referral Care regulations to identify and assist patients who may be eligible for coverage by third party resources for patient care and to ensure the medical care provided by third party resources is paid. This job announcement is to fill a number of positions between December 2024 and March 2025. We are accepting applications with eligible applicants being placed on a standing register and referred for consideration as vacancies occur.
Duties
Please Take Note: Individuals working at the Wellpinit Service Unit will be under tribal management in March 2025. Public Law 93-638 gave Tribes the authority to contract for the direct operation of Indian Health Service programs serving their tribal members. If you are hired through this job announcement, you will be subject to future employment under the Spokane Tribe of Indians. The tribe can exercise options to utilize Federal personnel on Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments and Memoranda of Agreements (MOA) but future employment is not guaranteed. MAJOR DUTIES: If selected candidate is hired at the grade level GS-06, the selected candidate gains experience toward the next level of grade level GS-07 and until the full performance level of GS-08 is achieved. The major duties are listed below. Conducts in-depth face-to-face interview or by telephone with patients and/or families to ensure accurate completion of enrollment application. Assist the applicant to ensure State Medicaid enrollment application is thoroughly complete. Advises the patient/family/non-IHS providers of eligibility based on information gathered at the time of a face-to-face interview or by letter form after all necessary information has been reviewed. Performs prescreening process for potential eligibility and gathers pertinent information utilized to determine eligibility and potentially eligibility for alternative resources. Verifies and determines patient's eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Veteran Administration or other potential alternate resources as appropriate, which are available and accessible to the individual. Determines the sufficiency of the documentation submitted for consideration. Initiates action with appropriate office(s) in order to obtain the required documentation or information (i.e. supporting documents and evidence). Prepares memoranda for correspondence for the reviewing appeals, identifies deficiencies and recommends appropriate course of action. Performs substantive research in the areas of medical documentation, administrative compliance, inquiries and reports of investigation and standards of conduct/ethics. Ensures that Purchased/Referred Care funds are available prior to issuance of obligating documents on behalf of the government. Provides forecasting of weekly document control register balances after each week's obligations have been completed to ensure funds are expended in accordance within the spending plans. Initiates medical authorizations and denial of service for inpatient/outpatient/ancillary medical services for eligible IHS beneficiaries. Reviews completed documents for accurate patient information, clinical data, obligation signatures and fiscal data. In appeals or denials, employee gathers all necessary information pertinent to the case for the episode of care and completes final review and determination of a reversal and/or affirmed denial. There may be times when the staff will have to write out the draft appeal letter for the patient; especially those for non-English speaking individuals.
Salary
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. The following minimum qualifications shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for Contact Representative positions taken from the appropriate qualification standard. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS For Grade GS-06 Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the certain type of work and/or tasks. Examples include provide clerical duties such as making appointments, data entry, maintaining files, and answering phone calls; Conduct interviews in order to determine patient's eligibility for Purchased/Referred Care services; Issue medical referrals and denial letters for medical services; Communicate with patients regarding medical bills, claim status, and referrals. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS For Grade GS-07 Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the certain type of work and/or tasks. Examples include assess and educate patients in regard to unique health services and program eligibility; Initiate medical authorizations and denial of service for medical services; Prepare and distribute purchase order authorizations for patient care services and ensure prompt payment; Research vendor claims and purchase orders to provide prompt follow-up; Review incoming claims from providers to determine if authorizations are approved or denied. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS For Grade GS-08 Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing certain types of work and/or tasks. Examples include: Prepare and distribute purchase order authorizations for patient care services and ensure prompt payment; Conduct comprehensive patient interviews to determine eligibility for alternate health insurance resources; Provide recommendations to patients on the various health care benefit programs and eligibility criteria based on current health care laws and regulation; Conduct extensive research and providing benefit updates involving changes in rules and regulations for alternate resources; Review financial reports for reconciliation with outstanding accounts and progressive payments to ensure accuracy. Specialized Experience Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Note: Creditable experience is experience of the type (general or specialized), level, and amount specified in the appropriate standard. Applicants are considered to have satisfied the requirement for 1 year of experience through completion of either 12 months or 52 weeks of creditable work experience, whichever comes first. Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of a cut-off date or the closing date of the announcement. Cut-off date(s) are established based on the date the human resources office receives management request for a list of eligibles or every 10 days thereafter. The job announcement is open continuous until the closing date.
Education
As a general rule, education is not creditable above the grade GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position.
Required Documents
Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, annual salary, and description of job duties. Include name and address of employer, supervisor name and telephone number. Required as applicable for the purposes of specific eligibility and appointment claim(s), and position requirements: Indian Preference Applicants: If claiming Indian preference, applicants must provide a completed copy of the Form BIA-4432, "Verification of Indian Preference for Employment in the BIA and IHS Only." Indian preference will not be given unless a properly signed and dated form is submitted with your application, including any verification by an authorized Tribal Representative or BIA Official of tribal enrollment records. For detailed instructions, see form BIA-4432. Refer to BIA-4432 link: https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/assets/public/raca/online_forms/pdf/1076-0160_INDIAN-PREF_Expires-10.31.24_508.pdf. When an Indian Preference candidate possesses Veterans preference the rules regarding Veterans preference apply under ESEP and the applicant must provide documentation in order to receive preference. Veterans Preference: If claiming Veteran's Preference provide a copy of your DD214 Form (Member 4 copy). To claim 10-Point Veterans Preference, submit a SF-15 Application (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) along with the appropriate supporting documentation. For additional information regarding Veterans Preference visit: http://www.fedshirevets.gov. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP, follow the instructions below: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. Current or former Federal employee: Include your most recent SF-50 or if Reinstatement eligible include your Career SF-50. Noncompetitive eligibles: Submit additional documents to prove your eligibility to apply to this vacancy. Transcripts: You are encouraged to submit copies of transcripts (official or unofficial) although not required at the time of application. You must list your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Official transcripts will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer. Licensure, Certifications: Applicants should list their license/certifications on their resume, along with the expiration date, if applicable. Certification of licensure/certification will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer. You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of a cut-off date or the job announcement closing date: 03/08/2025 The first Cut-off date for receipt/referral of applications to be considered for available vacant positions will be 5 days after the Job Opportunities Announcement (JOA) open date. Your resume and any documents submitted will be retained for 8 months and may be used at any time during this period. After 8 months, you must reapply to this announcement in order to be considered.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below. Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to upload your resume and/or supporting documents. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly. . Complete the assessment questions. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package. The IHS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office (Margaret Witt, Margaret.Witt@ihs.gov, and/or (503) 414-7732.) The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. For additional questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) found here: http://www.ihs.gov/jobs/index.cfm?module=search&option=faq.
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