Health Benefits Assistant

In order to qualify for this position at the GS-5 Grade Level, Applicants must meet the following: You must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) in Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities 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 providing administrative support to a work unit; verifying eligibility/entitlement for benefits; entering, reviewing, verifying, and analyzing computerized data for accuracy and consistency; and assisting patients with eligibility forms and processes. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE.) ~OR~Substitution of Education for experience:You must have successfully 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. 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. One full year of graduate education is considered to be 18 semester hours. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) ~OR~Combination of Experience and Education :You must possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements at the GS-5 level. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE AND COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Clerical Computer Skills Customer Service Manages and Organizes Information IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: This is primarily a sedentary position, but the work requires some walking, bending, stooping and carrying of light objects such as manuals, documents, etc. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the time-factors involved in completion of work assignments within deadlines. 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/.
These positions are located at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville North Carolina, within the Eligibility and Enrollment Department of the Health Administration Service (HAS). The Health Benefits Assistant provides administrative and data support to the HAS to include the Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. The primary function of the position is to make eligibility determinations for VA healthcare. Recruitment incentive may be authorized for highly qualified candidates.