Civil Service FAQ

The New York State Constitution and NYS Civil Service Law states that public employees must be hired for jobs on the basis of their “merit and fitness”.  In practical terms, “merit and fitness” means the filling of most positions based on the results of a competitive examination.

The Saratoga County Department of Human Resources Civil Service Division for the administration of  is responsible for hiring candidates that meet the requirements of merit and fitness as mandated by NYS Civil Service Law. The Department of Human Resources oversees Civil Service hiring for all Saratoga County Departments, Towns, Villages, and School Districts, excluding the City of Saratoga Springs, the City of Mechanicville, and their respective school districts.

Administration of the Civil Service Law is divided into two areas: positions that do not require a Civil Service examination (Non-competitive) and positions that do require a civil service examination (Competitive).

1. Job titles that have no minimum requirements; for example:

Laborer – Department of Public Works /  Sewer Department

Animal Shelter Aide – Saratoga County Animal Shelter

2. Job titles that require completion of a training program approved by the NYS Heath Department; for example:

–  Home Health Aide

3. Job titles requiring specific education and experience but no written examination; for example:

–  RPN (Registered Professional Nurse) – Public Health

4. Job titles are filled on a part-time basis; for example:

–  Typist / Part-Time

–  Clerk / Part-Time

5. Elected Officials or positions that are appointed by the Saratoga County Board of Supervisor’s; for example:

–    Saratoga County Treasurer

–   Commissioner of Elections

6. Job titles which have been classified under Section 55a of the Civil Service Law for an applicant certified by VESID (Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities). In this instance, an examination is waived and will not be required of the applicant.

Applications and job descriptions for positions that do not require an exam (non-competitive) are available from the Human Resources Department and are posted on the Saratoga County website under “Current Job Openings”.  Most positions have minimum qualifications. Candidates may complete and file an application for these titles within the filing time listed on the announcement.  Applications submitted to the Human Resources Department are reviewed, recorded, and then forwarded to the appropriate Department Head/Appointing Authority.  Interviews and selection of qualified applicants is made at the discretion of the Department Head/Appointing Authority.  Some employment opportunities are listed as “provisional”.  You may apply for these opportunities but you will be required to sit for an exam, scheduled by NYS, at a future date.  Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not always possible to respond to every application.

Examination Announcements

Civil Service Exams for Competitive Class positions, are scheduled through NYS Civil Service and are scheduled based on Statewide need.  Exam announcements are  posted in public buildings, the Human Resources Office, and are also available on the Saratoga County website. Exam announcements contain important information about “minimum qualifications“, exam fees, exam scopes (topics of exam material), filing deadlines, and test date. Unless otherwise stated on the exam announcement, applicants must be residents of New York State for 4 months immediately preceding the exam date.  It is recommended that you check the website often as exam announcements and employment vacancy’s are regularly posted and updated here.  Exceptions to missing the filing deadline for an exam or vacancy can not be made.  Postmarks will be accepted for Examination submissions.  It is important to note that Exam announcements do not necessarily indicate a vacancy to be filled.  Exams are given to establish a list of eligible candidates should a vacancy in that title become available.  If you previously submitted an application for an Employment Opportunity that was listed as “provisional“, you must also submit an application, with the applicable fee, for the examination.

Request for Exam Notification
At this time Saratoga County does not have an Exam Notification system.  The Human Resources Office does maintains available job descriptions for all titles that require a Civil Service exam.  Applications will not be accepted for exam titles or positions that are not yet scheduled or posted.

Completing the Application
NYS Civil Service requires an application be filed for each employment opportunity and examination.  Each applicant must fully complete all information on the application. Resume may not be substituted for an application, or for the education or work experience section (12.) of the application.  Application fees for Examinations are non-refundable.  Before submitting your application, be sure to compare the information you provide about your education, training, and experience with the “minimum qualifications” as stated on the announcement.   “Minimum qualifications” must be clearly stated on your application (vague applications will not be interpreted in the the applicants favor; qualifications cannot be assumed based on current or previous title, position or duties).  At this time, applications CANNOT be filed electronically.  Applications must be mailed or hand delivered to the Human Resources Department at the address on the announcement and any applicable fee must be paid at the time of application.  Please note that due to the high volume of applications received, it is not always possible to respond to each applicant/application.  You may contact the Human Resources Office with questions regarding status of your application.

School Districts, Towns and Villages generally post vacancy’s on their respective websites and you may apply directly with the School District and/or Village or Town in which you seek employment.  The Department of Human Resources oversees Civil Service hiring of “competitive” positions for the Towns, Villages, and School Districts in Saratoga County, excluding the cities of Saratoga Springs and Mechanicville and their respective school districts.  Competitive positions are those requiring a Civil Service exam.  If you would like to apply for a position which requires successful completion of an exam and you have not taken the applicable exam, you will not be considered eligible for that position.

If you are interested in a position that does not require an exam (for example: Food Service Helper, Teacher Aide, Cleaner, Bus Driver), you may apply directly to the School District and/or Village in which you seek employment. Teaching positions in the school districts are not under Civil Service. Each jurisdiction selects its own candidates for these positions.

Applications for scheduled exams are evaluated to ensure the candidate meets the minimum qualifications as stated on the exam announcement.  Approved applicants will receive an admission notice approximately one week to ten days prior to the exam date.  Information regarding location, time, and other instructions for the exam will be listed on the admission letter and MUST be presented at the exam.  Applicants that have been disqualified to sit for the exam because they have not met minimum qualifications, will be notified by mail shortly after the filing deadline; Disqualified applicants will have an opportunity to provide additional information and/or facts in opposition to the disqualification.  Exam fees are non-refundable.

Exam results are processed by NYS Civil Service and processing takes approximately three months after the date of the exam.  You will receive notification of your exam results by mail. Individuals  scoring 70% or above are included on the applicable eligible list when a vacancy in that title occurs.  Vacancy’s are filled from the eligible lists by the Appointing Authority or Department Head.  Selection is made at the discretion of the Appointing Authority, from one of the three highest scoring groups of applicants willing to accept the job.  Eligible lists are used by all Saratoga County Departments, Towns, Villages, and School Districts excluding the cities of Saratoga Springs and Mechanicville and their respective school districts. 

When a vacancy, or employment opportunity, exists within a County Department, and there is no valid eligible list of candidates available, the opportunity will be listed as a provisional opportunity under Current Employment Opportunities. This is done to fill the immediate employment needs of the Department.  Applicants selected to fill provisional opportunities will be required to sit for an examination when it is scheduled by NYS and announced by Saratoga County.  If you applied for an employment opportunity that was provisional, you must also submit an application for the examination, as well as the applicable application fee.

Retirees FAQ

If you have a change to your mailing address, residential address, phone number, name or social security number, please contact Saratoga County Human Resources: (518) 885-2225. Please know a written (or email) request will be needed to process the change. Saratoga County will notify the health insurance carrier of the change(s). For name changes, you will need to contact Saratoga County, as well as Social Security as name changes are submitted directly to MVP from CMS (Medicare) since they are required to match what they have on file. When the health insurance carrier receives the change request, it will automatically trigger a new medical ID Card to be issued.

A Medicare Advantage Plan (MAPD) is a cost effective and efficient way to deliver your health care which provides all of the benefits of original Medicare with enhancements, i.e., Silver Sneakers, and some vision and hearing aid coverage. Saratoga County’s Medicare Advantage Plan is much different (and superior) than the Medicare Advantage Plans that you might have seen advertised, or the plans that you would see if you were to purchase insurance on your own. This plan is custom designed specifically for Saratoga County retirees, has very low-cost sharing, and a very large network of providers.

No. If you are currently enrolled in the MVP MAPD, you will be automatically re-enrolled annually. This means you can ignore all of the Medicare Advantage Plan commercials and mailings!

Medicare eligible retirees are not allowed to be enrolled in more than one Medicare Advantage plan. You are similarly not allowed to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan simultaneously with a Medicare Supplement plan. Insurers can terminate your insurance coverage when they are made aware of enrollment in another Medicare plan. Please carefully consider your situation and enrollment options before deciding. Once you decline enrollment in most employer-sponsored plans you cannot re-enroll at a later date.

Yes. The MVP plan will pay in place of Medicare, but it does not replace your Medicare coverage. The plan covers everything that Original Medicare Part A and Part B covers, including additional extra benefits and health and wellness programs.

This is different from a Medicare Supplement Plan. A Medicare Supplement Plan works with Original Medicare, Parts A and B, paying for parts that Original Medicare does not cover. By contrast, a Medicare Advantage Plan is an alternative to Original Medicare rather than a supplement. Billing is handled through MVP Healthcare rather than a combination of an insurer and the Medicare federally administered program.

Medicare Advantage plans work differently than traditional Medicare. Under Medicare Advantage, you are still required to pay the government-set Part B premium and the premium for the MA plan. Instead of paying the 20 percent coinsurance for doctor visits and other Part B services, our MVP Healthcare plan covers physician visits, and medical procedures at 100% which means lower out-of-pocket costs to you than under our previous Medicare plan.

When you see your doctor or get a prescription at the pharmacy, you only have to present your MVP ID card, rather than both your Medicare (red, white, and blue) card and a second ID card. Please keep your Medicare ID card in a safe place or use it only when needed – for example: hospice, and for discounts and offers from retailers.

USA Care PPO from MVP Health Care is a Medicare Advantage PPO plan. USA Care PPO members are not restricted to a particular provider network. Direct provider contracts with MVP are not required with USA Care. Members are able to continue to see the providers they do today as long as the providers accept Medicare. USA Care PPO members do not need referrals, and are free to obtain services from any provider in the U.S. who is eligible to be paid under Original Medicare. Some services require prior authorization. No referrals required.

As a USA Care plan member, you can choose any doctor or hospital that agrees to accept Medicare patients, and you don’t need a referral to see a specialist.

The USA Care PPO plan reimburses Medicare providers at the Medicare rate, minus any member co-payments or co-insurance, for medically necessary services covered by the plan.
• Hospitals are paid using the Medicare Prospective Payment System.
• Physicians and other health professionals are paid based on the Medicare Fee Schedule.
• Hospital outpatient departments are paid using Medicare’s service classification formula.
• Skilled nursing facilities are paid using Medicare’s pre-determined daily rates.

Providers should collect only applicable co-payment or co-insurance amounts from USA Care PPO members. The Social Security Act Amendments of 1994 prohibit balance billing by providers who provide covered services to USA Care members. Since USA Care PPO reimburses providers directly, there is no additional administrative burden of patient billing.

If your doctor or other health care provider would like more information about USA Care PPO, they may call MVP Provider Services at 1800-684-9286.

Providers should submit claims using the standard CMS-1500 or the UB-04 forms. All Medicare billing guidelines must be followed when submitting claims.

Submit claims to USA Care at the address below. With USA Care there is no need for secondary billing. Do not submit claims for USA Care members to Medicare or a Medicare Supplement carrier.

Send all claims to:
ATTN: CLAIMS SUBMISSION, MVP HEALTH CARE,
PO BOX 2207, SCHENECTADY NY 12301

Yes. If the medical service is not medically necessary as determined by Medicare guidelines, you will be responsible for paying the bill for the service.

USA Care PPO recommends hospitals or facilities to contact MVP for the following:
• Inpatient surgical admissions
• Acute rehabilitation admissions
• Inpatient mental health stays
• Inpatient substance abuse stays
• Level of care changes during the above stays
• Organ transplants
• Elective air transport
Pre-Determination Reviews are helpful to know whether the service is covered and what the cost-sharing responsibility will be. Call 1-800-684-9286 to obtain a Pre-Determination Review. For more information, visit https://www.mvphealthcare.com/plans/medicare.

If you pass away before your spouse, your health insurance benefit will remain effective for the month that you pass away and the month immediately following. Your spouse is able to continue utilizing Saratoga County’s Health Insurance by communicating with Saratoga County Human Resources that they would like to remain covered. If your spouse elects to stay on the county’s health insurance, they will be responsible to pay the full monthly premium which is due by the first of each month.

Loading