Medical Support Assistant; Advanced

Summary

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in the Health Administration Service (HAS). The incumbent's work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care - including access - scheduling/coordinating appointments using advanced clinic access principles - collecting - and updating demographic and insurance information - consult scheduling - patient processing - and customer service.

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 02/10/2026

• United States Citizenship:
  Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Experience and Education
• Experience
• Six months experience of clerical - office - customer service - or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position
• OR Education
• One year above high school (Transcripts Required)
• OR Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable (Transcripts Required)
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Creditable Experience - see "Education" section
• Grade Determinations:
  Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - GS-6 Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level
• Reference GS-5 assignment: performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting
• advising clinical staff on current administrative processes
• answering phones - greeting patients - relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit - scheduling appointments - including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines
• scheduling - canceling - re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults
• entering no-show information
• monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources
• participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic - monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility
• verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments
• Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient’s eligibility status (i.e.
  
  - TRICARE - sharing agreements - collaterals - research patient - VA employee - etc.)
• Assignment
• The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model
• Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics - specialties - and/or care in the community resources
• Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines
• Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model
• Coordinates] with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics - and makes adjustments as necessary
• MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient - interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams - VA medical centers - and other agencies (e.g.
  
  - assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge
• communicate with non-VA medical facilities
• prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results
• manage a system for follow-up care such as consults - tests - etc).Other assignments at this…