"Alerted.org

Summary The Veterans Transportation Program (VTP)/Beneficiary Travel (BT) department administers beneficiary travel program benefits to Veterans who meet eligibility criteria. Staff review, adjudicate and authorize claims for costs incurred while traveling from their home to a VA medical appointment at the VAPORHCS, the Veteran's assigned community based outpatient clinic, and a VA authorized non-VA medical facility as well as other facilities within VISN 20 who refer patients to VAPORHCS for care. Responsibilities Major duties include but is not limited to: Utilizes various software applications to accurately determine and/or verify Veteran eligibility and amount owed for travel reimbursement Assist Veterans with waiver applications Reviews clinical request for transportation at VA expense utilizing CPRS and determines best mode of transportation Arranges complex transport i.e. Cabulance, Ambulance and air ambulance for patients adhering to provider specifications of mode of transport and ensuring that mode is correctly denoted according to the patient's medical condition Coordinates patient transfer with other VA ensuring the patient arrives at a specified time for admission Accurately arranges and coordinates air ambulance travel for eligible Veterans Makes travel arrangements from basic information from the traveler en route to resolve problems Continually assess the status of the Beneficiary Travel program through the use of quality assurance measurement tools to ensure compliance with existing directives, guidelines and regulations Arranges all modes of transportation via Veterans Transportation Service (VTS), air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus and/or independent transport Corresponds with physician, traveler, and vendor to determine the most dependable and economical mode of transportation Prepares appropriate documentation and/or scheduling for traveler according to government transportation availability, government rates or substantial rates Makes special arrangements per physician documentation according to traveler's medical condition and/or preference Secures reservations and tickets from carriers 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 Processes a claim as Electronic Funds Transfer, paper check or denial of benefits reviews claims for accuracy and ensures all required documentation is attached Receives in-person, telephone and written contacts from Veterans, their representatives and staff regarding questions or problems related to transportation or reimbursement benefits collect, organize, track and count all beneficiary travel reimbursement forms from various locations throughout the facility Orders office supplies for the section and tracks and organizes orders May also be assigned the task as time keeper Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (PST), or, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm (PST) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD21145A 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 To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 12/15/2025. 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 within 30 days of 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: Assisting customers in person and on the phone to process requests. Arranging various modes of transportation to include, air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus, and/or contracted transport services. Determining eligibility for programs and processing requests for travel pay. Preparing appropriate documentation and/or scheduling for traveler according to government rates or substantial rates. Determining which of several fund control points to utilize, obligating funds, maintaining manual and electronic accounting records, performing regular reconciliations and adjusting account balances. Determining method of payment for authorized and unauthorized claims submitted for consideration. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and year ending dates AND hours worked per week. 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/. Physical Requirements: Work involves various physical demands requiring the employee to be versatile in the many functions performed. These include sedentary work performed at a desk with intermittent standing, walking, bending, and lifting of lightweight records or supplies. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office setting. Work is performed within view and hearing of patients and the general public. The Transportation Assistant has direct contact with the Veterans and possible exposure to contagious diseases. Immediate attention is required for patient funds activities, and travel arrangements must be completed timely. Meeting these obligations may present varied demands on the incumbent. Patients may present skeptical, agitated, uncooperative, and some may become hostile or dangerous. The work environment is multifaceted, complex and demanding. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.