Health Benefits Assistant

at  US Veterans Health Administration

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: knowledge of all aspects of Business Office/Health Administration Service programs and knowledge of how they interrelate to all other medical center services and programs. Knowledge of medical and administrative record system, Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act, as they relate to the release of information on patients. Ability to interpret and apply rules, regulations, policies, and procedures and to make sound decisions, using good judgment. Ability to deal with variety of individuals with tact and diplomacy. Knowledge of using a personal computer Word, Excel, and various VISTA packages such as Integrated Billing, Registration, Appointment Management, Enrollment, and Patient Demographics software applications.
OR
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years above high school graduation or equivalent (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
OR
Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Client Orientation
• Computer Skills
• Customer Service
• Technical Credibility

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

EDUCATION

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Resume Reminder- Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

• Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
• Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
For more information on the “Who may apply” eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

• Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans’ Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans’ Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

• How to Apply

• Responsible for interviewing patients applying for medical benefits. Applications may be received in person, by telephone, by mail, on-line or referral from another VA. Incumbent is responsible for entering demographic, insurance, and income information into the VistA system. This information serves as a base for determining entitlement to medical care as well as bill preparation and collections on all billable episodes of inpatient and outpatient care. Accurate and complete data collection is essential to proper processing of third party collection requirements as mandated by law.
• Verifies eligibility/entitlement for benefits of all applicants using various methods including income assessments, military discharge documents, computer hospital inquiry (HINQ) and other means, such as communications with VA Regional Office or VA Records Processing Centers. The process of verifying eligibility is complicated and criteria differ for each type of benefit applied for. Incumbent advises the veterans of their entitlement to various medical benefits and discusses co-payment requirements of veterans in discretionary categories. Extreme tact and diplomacy is required to explain complicated laws in this area.
• Functions as the single administrative contact for a client during any one visit to the VA Walla Walla. Incumbent is the initial contact point for Veteran accessing the VA system for the first time, or re-accessing the system after an absence from VA Care. The incumbent receives, determines needs, entitlements, and coordinates a client’s visit from arrival to departure, ensuring all administrative and clinical details have been completed before an applicant leaves the facility. When necessary, the incumbent will make telephonic contacts with the client to follow-up and complete details from a previous visit.
• Greets and receives applicants and determines his/her status in the VA system. In the case of a new patient, the incumbent must determine eligibility based on the correct application of current regulations, directives and CBO guidance governing entitlement to medical benefits. This also includes reviewing all available documentation and data bases, such as, HINQ, DD-214, VIS, etc.
• Advises the veteran of his/her eligibility status and enrollment Priority Group for VA health care, explaining his/her billing co-payment status, including how his/her private insurance may affect his/her VA billing co-payments. The incumbent also will advise the veteran if he/she is determined to be ineligible of their appeals rights and procedures in writing and assist them to submit a notice of disagreement.
  Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, with occasional PM, weekend and Holidays shifts
  Position Description Title/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD80270A
  Telework: Not Authorized
  Virtual: This is not a virtual position
  Physical Requirements: The work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. The work is generally sedentary, but requires some bending, walking, standing, lifting and carrying patient records and various reports to various areas throughout the medical center campus. Reading from CRT for long periods of time and accessing information from various computer systems as necessary.