Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

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There MAY NOT be immediate vacancies at all locations.

• Verifies and determines patient's eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, VA or other potential alternate resources.
• Provides information on rights and benefits of multiple alternate resources and advises patient of nonpayment or denial of claims.
• Identifies and follows up on pending applications and timely entry of all third party resources.
• Conducts face-to-face interviews or by telephone with patients and/or families to ensure accurate and complete enrollment application.
• Obtains copies of verification of household income or other source of documentation, requests all other income from beneficiary and household members.
• Initiates medical authorizations and denial of service for inpatient/outpatient/ancillary medical services for eligible IHS beneficiaries. Investigates and analyzes controversial issues.
• Issues correspondence to patients, health care providers and other agencies regarding eligibility, IHS policy and regulations, including letters of denial of payment where the requirements of the IHS Program are not met.
• Tracks all referrals to non-IHS facilities to include those referrals to other IHS facilities to support the Case Management activities and continuity of care efforts. Participates in the weekly Case Management meetings, takes minutes and prepares the minutes for record and reporting purpose.

Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

IHS Selectees that will work in an IHS health care facility may be subject to Employee Health Policies related to Measles and Rubella, and seasonal influenza immunizations. Vaccine exemption requests may be available according to the National and/or Service Unit guidance.

On-call hours or standby duty may be required.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-07: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level.

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 following type of work and/or tasks: Knowledge of, and ability to apply a multitude of Alternate Resource regulations, knowledge of medical terminology, ability to act as an advocate for patients, ability to maintain effective work relationships with patients, co-workers, and community, knowledge of Privacy Act and HIPAA, use of confidential information and health records, and maintaining confidential patient information.

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 by the respective cut-off day of rating to be eligible for consideration.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement. There MAY NOT be immediate vacancies at all locations. You will be limited to selecting no more than 5 locations during the application process and will only be considered for the locations you select. Eligible applicants will be referred out as vacancies occur.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

To ensure a fair and consistent hiring process, IHS uses a multi-hurdle assessment process. Each "hurdle" must be passed before moving to the next step. This helps us evaluate applicants based on job-related qualifications, competencies, and experience.

Below is what applicants can expect:
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1. Minimum Qualifications Review - Hurdle 1
HR reviews your resume to confirm you meet the eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position (education and/or licensure (if applicable), listed above).
Note: the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications.
If you meet eligibility and minimum qualifications, you move to the next hurdle.
2. Technical Assessment (Subject Matter Expert Resume Review) - Hurdle 2
A panel of subject matter experts (SME) will review your resume to determine whether you clearly show the required specialized experience listed below.
Note: SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

This assessment is Pass/Fail.

Applicants who demonstrate the required experience will advance.
Knowledge of, and ability to apply a multitude of Alternate Resource regulations, knowledge of medical terminology, ability to act as an advocate for patients, ability to maintain effective work relationships with patients, co-workers, and community, knowledge of Privacy Act and HIPAA, use of confidential information and health records, and maintaining confidential patient information.

Demonstration of these specialized experience statements ascertain your competency in the following:

• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Oral Communication
• Reasoning
• Technical Competence