Health Benefits Assistant

Full Job Description

The Health Benefits Assistant is assigned to the Eligibility & Enrollment section of the Business Office.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/26/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Advancement to positions up to GS-05 Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-05 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest non temporary competitive appointment.

The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. If applicable an SF-50 must be submitted with your application materials.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience that has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower level of Federal service.

Qualifying specialized experience includes: Enter and update data such as demographics, insurance, and income into computerized databases; Prepare correspondence to address complex inquiries from internal and external customers; Monitor and update databases to maintain accurate health enrollment records; Provide guidance and clarification on enrollment and eligibility issues.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four years of education above the high school level.

NOTE: 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, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have an 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.

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/.

Driver's License Requirement: Incumbent must possess a current, valid state-issued driver's license for this position.

(Please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package.

You will be required to show your valid driver's license at the time of your interview.) 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.

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 incumbents work in a shared office/clinical environment, frequently interacting with other services across the facility and Community Based Outpatient Clinics while adhering to established safety standards.

Occasional travel is required, including participation in community events such as Health Fairs and Reintegration Programs for service members and families.

The work takes place in a well-lit, climate controlled setting, subject to everyday risks that require adherence to standard safety precautions. Major Duties:

As a Health Benefits Assistant you will perform duties and assignments that include (but are not limited to): Responsible for the administrative processes for Veterans applying for VA health care benefits.

Determines qualifying entitlements for health care and other VA benefits. Assists with health care benefit questions.

Works daily with all levels of the organization and with Veterans and their representatives. Must be a strong communicator both verbally and in writing.

Must be able to work independently with multiple tasks at the same time. Ability to build strong working relationships across the health care system.

Excellent computer skills: send/receive emails, create/edit Word and Excel documents, and access various other systems to process applications.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: This position is not authorized for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD70732A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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.