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Summary This position is that of Health Benefits Advisor in the Health Benefits and Administration (HB&A) Section, Health Administration Service (HAS). Incumbent supports the administrative and clinical staff throughout the West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS) by providing advisory and technical assistance primarily to Veterans and beneficiaries seeking medical treatment, experiencing problems or requesting information. Responsibilities Major duties include: Serves as a key person, personally greeting Veterans in need of assistance and determining the nature of the Veteran's medical care needs, questions or complaints. Serves as the subject matter expert in determining Veterans' legal eligibility for medical care and counsels Veterans regarding aspects of eligibility for VA medical benefits. Ensures that only urgent or emergent treatment is provided to persons not eligible for VA services and ensures that sufficient information is obtained for patient billing. Counsels inquiring or agitated Veterans and family members regarding problems or complaints. In addition to Veterans and beneficiaries, receives a variety of telephonic and personal contacts from, and aids, Veterans' relatives, government and service representatives, ambulance companies, private physicians, insurance companies, representatives of other VA medical centers, etc. Identifies delays or problems in processing medical care requires and initiates corrective action to ensure that a Veterans is properly processed, explaining reasons for delays to the Veteran. Identifies the needs of non-English speaking applicants and obtains the assistance of an interpreter when necessary. Assists in orienting and advising professional staff in VA regulations, policies and procedures on patient care administrative matters. Responsible for keeping the security of the DHCP programs and the confidentiality of all patient information accessed in accordance with HIPPA and Privacy Act. Incumbent may be assigned to provide back-up coverage in any position within the section. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD01145A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/03/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Skills in interpersonal relations and oral and written communication in order to advise and assist a variety of individuals seeking medical treatment, experiencing problems or requesting information, to promote and maintain amiable relations; Knowledge of medical center directives and various laws and regulations relating to all facets of patient care administration activities to ensure patients, beneficiaries, are processed and treated with the maximum degree of effectiveness and efficiency; Knowledge of the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act; Knowledge of medical terminology. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 4 years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have any 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: External Awareness Technical Competence Flexibility Customer Service Computer Skills 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.