Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

01Basic Requirements

United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

02Experience

None.

03Education

You must possess one of the following: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grandfathering Provision: All Medical Support Assistants (MSAs) employed in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard (February 20, 2026) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.(3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

04Grade Determinations

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-06: Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in Federal service (GS-05). Experience includes: independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.

The MSA is responsible for 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.

Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: 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.).

05Preferred Experience

Consult Management, VA Scheduling, Appointment Management, Community Care, Health Share Referral Management (HSRM), RefDoc, External Provider Scheduling (EPS). MyHealtheVet, and scanning medical records.

AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or community care models, and patient health care portals as they relate to access to care.

Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or community operational activities that affect patient flow, as well as patient support administrative functions (e.g., appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability). Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical language used by clinicians.

Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g., medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to support team goal-setting and ensure medical care needs are met. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.

Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal and external customers. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

06Physical Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo The MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e. PACT, Specialty Clinics, C&P, Non VA Care) and performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and maintains appointment schedules for all Non VA Care.

Communicates with Non VA Care providers to ensure they accept VA patients and payments, prepare any required pre-appointment documents, schedules the appropriate level of care and documents the schedule in the appropriate consult. Obtains medical documentation from Non VA providers, scans to appropriate consult within CPRS and view alerts the VA providers for continuity of care. Coordinates internal and external care between customers and providers.

Supports patient safety standards using the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients through the use of two forms of identification, name and full Social Security Number. The patient may also present the Veterans Healthcare Identification Card (VHIC) for identification.

He/she must use each interaction with the patient to validate and update patient demographic information, either in person during check-in or over the phone, to decrease the incidence of returned mail due to incorrect addresses and inability to contact patient by phone due to incorrect number. Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday (Subject to change based on the needs of the agency). Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 59634F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized