This position is located within the Minneapolis VA Health Care System within the Health Administrative Service. The employee works under the general supervision of the Eligibility and Enrollment Supervisor and is often the first contact a patient has with the VA. The employee works with Veterans, Veteran's families, staff, outside organizations, contract companies and others.

Duties

Major duties listed but not limited to: Interpret all eligibility to make initial determinations whether Veterans or non-Veterans meet legal/contractual requirements for medical care Generate patient data cards for Veterans applying for care using the Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC) system Update patient demographic information, either in person during check-in or over the phone Provide on-the-job training to new Health Benefits Advisors Help develop functional processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Provide claims development for all types of eligibility requests for inpatient and outpatient treatment and other special programs Facilitate referrals and transfers to and from community hospitals and other VA medical Centers Determine eligibility for VA health care benefits, obtain application, process registration Counsels Veterans and outside facilities regarding eligibility status and financial obligations Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (work hours may be further discussed during the interview) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD60662A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit Position: Yes, AFGE/1272 The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Selected applicants may be subject to a pre-employment physical or evaluation
• 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. 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. Specialized experience includes: enter and update data such as demographics, employment, insurance, and income into computerized databases; apply regulations, public laws, directives, policies and procedures; perform administrative tasks such as answering telephones, scheduling appointments, and checking patients in and out; and determine patient eligibility for healthcare services. OR, Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed four years of education above the high school level. This education can be in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite and must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. OR, Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Only education in excess of 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. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Work Environment: The work is normally performed in an office setting with occasional visits to clinic areas and other services. The work area typically is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated although the area can be congested. Must be able to work under adverse situations and function at an optimum level of concentration in an environment with frequent interruptions and many activities in progress simultaneously. The incumbent works directly with the public, clerical and professional staff of the Medical Center. The incumbent observes established safety standards and practices as defined in the current Medical Center policy. Incumbent occasionally will attend meetings and obligations at other locations. 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

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.

Contacts

• Address Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Kara Grieser
• Phone: (320) 252-1670 X7151
• Email: [email protected]