Us Va Medical Support Assistant Jobs 2026: Apply Now

US VA Medical Support Assistant Jobs 2026 Are Open

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is hiring Medical Support Assistants (Advanced) at the VA Bedford Health Care System in Bedford, Massachusetts, and this is a strong opening for anyone who wants a stable federal job in healthcare administration. The role sits at grade GS-06, it is open to all United States citizens, and it is the first point of contact for veterans who need appointments, referrals and help navigating their care. Because this is an open and continuous announcement, applications are reviewed in batches, and the first cut-off for referral is on or about Friday, 13 November 2026, so applying early matters.

This is not a clinical role, and that is part of its appeal. You do not need a medical degree or a nursing licence. You need a high school diploma or equivalent, one year of experience at the GS-05 level, and the administrative and people skills to keep a busy clinic running smoothly. The VA has flagged a critical staffing shortage in this occupation, which is why the usual veterans preference requirement has been waived for this announcement, opening the door wider to civilian applicants.

At a Glance: Medical Support Assistant Jobs 2026

• Employer: United States Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Bedford Health Care System
• Role: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), functional statement F01391
• Grade: GS-06, full performance level GS-06
• Salary: Not stated as a figure in the announcement. The VA describes pay as competitive, with regular salary increases, and notes that some locations are covered by a special rate
• Location: VA Bedford Healthcare System, 200 Springs Road, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, United States
• Job type: Full time, permanent, Monday to Friday, day shift hours to be determined
• Telework: Not authorised. This is not a virtual position
• Open to: All United States citizens
• First cut-off: On or about Friday, 13 November 2026
• Closing date: Monday, 30 November 2026
• Announcement published: 28 October 2026
• Application fee: None, applications are free and are made only through USAJOBS
• Apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/890699300

What a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) Does

A Medical Support Assistant, often called an MSA, is the person who keeps the clinic moving. You are the first face a veteran sees at check-in and the first voice on the phone when they call with a question. You schedule, cancel and reschedule appointments, keep clinic profiles in order, collect and update insurance information, prepare correspondence and memos, and make sure every piece of data is entered accurately into VISTA, the VA health record system, with documents scanned into VISTA Imaging within 24 hours.

Your daily work includes:

• Supporting clinics with clinic profile management and appointment scheduling, entering veterans who need emergent or urgent care accurately and promptly
• Screening and receiving phone calls courteously, working out what the caller needs and giving the right information under privacy rules and clinic processes
• Pre-registering veterans during check-in, updating patient demographics, and calling veterans before their scheduled visits using call lists
• Promoting veteran registration for MyHealthyVet and the use of patient kiosks
• Following procedures for Community Care referrals, and serving as the initial point of contact for units, clinics, patients, call centres and Care in the Community on appointments and referrals
• Communicating with patients in a way that suits their cognitive, emotional and chronological needs, including adult and geriatric patients

Most shifts are scheduled during the day, but some shifts may be evenings, nights, weekends or holidays, and you may be asked to work a different tour to cover shortages or high patient volume. The work involves some physical exertion, including prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching and lifting moderately heavy items such as record boxes, and you will walk from area to area when covering for other employees. At times you may be exposed to stressful situations involving veterans.

Pay, Benefits and Work Schedule

The announcement does not publish a salary figure for this role. It describes pay as competitive, with regular salary increases, and notes that a higher step rate may be set where a candidate has higher or unique qualifications or where the VA has a special need. It also notes that some locations are covered by a special rate, which can raise pay above the standard GS-06 table. Do not rely on a salary figure from any other website for this announcement, because the official notice does not state one.

The benefits package is generous. You get 37 to 50 days of annual paid time off each year, made up of 13 to 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave and 11 paid federal holidays. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service. The schedule is Monday to Friday, day shift hours, to be determined. Compressed or flexible schedules are not authorised, telework is not authorised, and relocation or recruitment incentives are not authorised.

Who Can Apply

This announcement is open to all United States citizens, and you do not need to be a veteran to apply. Because of a critical staffing shortage, the requirement to apply veterans preference has been waived for this announcement under 38 U.S.C. 7412. The conditions of employment are:

• You must be a United States citizen to apply for this job. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, in line with VA policy
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 31 December 1959
• You must be proficient in written and spoken English
• You must pass a background and security investigation
• You must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination programme is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel
• You will be required to serve a 1 or 2 year trial period, during which the VA evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest
• You must complete an online onboarding process, and any driving licence or state issued identification you present must be REAL ID compliant from 7 May 2025

Please note one honest detail from the announcement: there may not be a vacancy at a listed location right now. Applicants for those locations are added to a standing pool and considered if a vacancy occurs before the announcement closes. That is how an open and continuous register works, and it is worth knowing before you apply.

Qualifications You Need

The basic requirements are straightforward. You need United States citizenship, a high school diploma, a General Education Development equivalency certificate, or a proficiency certificate from a state or territorial level Board or Department of Education. No experience is required to meet the basic requirements, and you must be proficient in spoken and written English.

To be placed at the GS-06 level, you must also meet the grade determining criteria:

• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-05, in a federal, state or private setting
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and care in the community models and patient health care portals, as it relates to access to care
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and care in the community operations that affect patient flow and patient support
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology, because of the technical nature of the language clinicians use
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians, including doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists and nursing staff
• Ability to independently set priorities and organise work to meet deadlines, following established processes, policies and regulations
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person and in writing, with internal and external customers, including preparing reports and resolving patient concerns

There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level. Your education must come from an accrediting institution recognised by the United States Department of Education. Paid and unpaid experience counts, including volunteer work done through national service programmes such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps.

What Your Application Needs

An incomplete application can cost you consideration, and the VA will not contact you for missing information. You need:

• A resume that is clear and specific about your experience. For each job listed, include the job title, detailed duties, month and year start and end dates, full time or part time status with hours worked per week, and the series and grade for any federal positions you have held. Your answers will be verified against your resume, so be precise
• A cover letter, which is accepted and may be required depending on your eligibility
• Supporting documents where they apply, such as a transcript, a DD-214 or Statement of Service, a disability letter, a separation notice, an SF-15 or an SF-50 for current or former federal employees

Be clear and specific when you describe your experience. The announcement warns that the VA may not make assumptions about your qualifications, and errors or omissions may affect your consideration. An incomplete application will receive a rating of ineligible due to missing forms, and requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete package.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Open the official announcement on USAJOBS at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/890699300 and read the full vacancy notice, including the qualifications and required documents
2. Create or sign in to your USAJOBS account and build your federal resume, listing hours worked per week, dates and the level of each role
3. Gather your documents, including your transcript if you are using education to qualify, and any supporting documents that apply to you
4. Complete the vacancy questionnaire honestly and specifically, and submit your application before the first cut-off on or about Friday, 13 November 2026
5. Keep a copy of everything you submit so you can track your application, and watch for referral updates after each cut-off

Applications are referred in batches. The initial cut-off for referral is on or about 13 November 2026, with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur, or on an as needed basis, until positions are filled. Applicants may be referred for consideration before the close date. Applying before the first cut-off gives you the earliest possible referral.

Key Dates to Remember

• Announcement published: 28 October 2026
• First cut-off: On or about Friday, 13 November 2026
• Subsequent reviews: Every other week, as additional vacancies occur
• Announcement closes: Monday, 30 November 2026
• Contact: Hannah Farrar, VA Bedford Healthcare System, phone 401-996-5673, email [email protected]

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting until 30 November: This is a standing register, and applications are reviewed in cut-off batches. Waiting until the closing date means competing with everyone who applied earlier
• Leaving out hours and dates: If your resume does not show hours worked per week, inclusive dates and the level of each role, you will not receive credit for that experience
• Being vague about your duties: The VA may not make assumptions about your qualifications, so describe what you actually did, in detail, for every role you list
• Submitting an incomplete package: Missing documents can lead to an ineligible rating, and reconsideration requests are not considered
• Applying through an unofficial site: Applications are free and are made only through USAJOBS. Never pay anyone to apply for a federal job, and never share personal documents with an agent who promises to secure the role for you
• Assuming a vacancy exists at your preferred location: The announcement is a standing register, and there may not be a vacancy at a listed location yet. You will be added to the pool and considered if one occurs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a veteran to apply for this role?

No. The announcement is open to all United States citizens, and you do not need military service to qualify. The veterans preference requirement has been waived for this announcement because of a critical staffing shortage.

What is the salary for a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)?

The announcement does not state a salary figure. It describes pay as competitive, with regular salary increases, and notes that some locations are covered by a special rate. The grade is GS-06, and a higher step rate may be set for candidates with higher or unique qualifications.

Is this a remote job?

No. Telework is not authorised and this is not a virtual position. You will work at the VA Bedford Healthcare System in Bedford, Massachusetts, on a Monday to Friday day shift schedule.

When is the best time to apply?

Before the first cut-off on or about Friday, 13 November 2026. Applications are reviewed in batches every other week, so early applicants are referred first. The announcement closes on Monday, 30 November 2026.

Do I need a medical qualification?

No. You need a high school diploma or equivalent and one year of creditable experience at the GS-05 level, plus advanced knowledge of medical terminology and health care scheduling processes. There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level.

Final Word

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) role at VA Bedford is a solid way into federal service without a clinical qualification. It is full time and permanent, it puts you at the centre of veteran care, and the waived veterans preference means civilian applicants have a genuine chance. If you have administrative experience in a health care setting and you can show the knowledge and skills the announcement asks for, prepare a detailed resume, gather your documents, and apply through USAJOBS before the first cut-off on or about Friday, 13 November 2026. The official announcement is at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/890699300, and it is the only place you need to apply.