Program Assistant

Summary

The primary functions of the incumbent are to assist the Primary Care/Managed Care Product Line (PC/MC PL) – in providing advisory and technical assistance to beneficiary patients seeking medical care – information or guidance from the contracted Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC). The incumbent is assigned as a Program Assistant in the Primary Care Managed Care Product Line of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS).

To qualify for this position – applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 02/02/2026. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include – but are not limited to: obtains information from the various contracts as they relate to payment rates and prepares monthly enrollment listing for payment of services performed;

reviews and analyzes bills received for payment to: (1) ensure charges are within negotiated contract; (2) eliminate any unnecessary or duplicate charges; (3) verify the patient was seen at the facility in question; (4) validate bills against actual patient information. Knowledge of billing inquiries for various contracts. Knowledge on maintaining up-to-date financial fund control point obligations. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Customer Service Administration and Management Contracting/Procurement

Physical Requirements:

Work is mostly sedentary with some walking – bending – standing in completing various stages of the daily tasks and carrying of light objects such as supplies and documentation manuals and records. There will be some lifting and transferring of baskets or boxes of supplies and records more than 15 pounds. The incumbent must have adequate eyesight and hand dexterity to allow for reading and operating a computer keyboard.

The incumbent is required to answer numerous personal/telephonic inquiries and must have adequate eyesight and hand dexterity to allow for reading and operating a computer. For more information on these qualification standards – please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at (the URL is not included in the refined description).

• Major Duties:
  Data Analysis:
  The PA is responsible for the accountability of over 23 million dollars for CBOC contract services
• The incumbent obtains information from the various contracts as they relate to payment rates and prepares monthly enrollment listing for payment of services performed at each CBOC
• She/He reviews and analyzes bills received for payment to: (1) ensure charges are within negotiated contract
• (2) eliminate any unnecessary or duplicate charges
• (3) verify the patient was seen at the facility in question
• (4) validate bills against actual patient information
• Incumbent is the point-of-contact for billing inquiries for the various CBOC contracts
• Handles patients concerns and issues and working with the Program Specialist to ensure all the needs of the Veterans are…