Summary As Health Benefits Assistant for Health Administration Service at the New Mexico VAMC (NMVAMC), the incumbents provide a high level of administrative and data support to the HAS to include the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS) as well as to the NMVAMC. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Serve as advisors and experts to the HAS Section Chiefs and support the management information components of all health eligibility related programs. Entering data and information, when necessary, but also reviewing reports, records and statistical computations for accuracy and propriety. Review, verify, and analyze data submitted for consistency with financial and program objectives, and adherence to VA directives. Assist the Public Affairs Office as well as other Services at Albuquerque VAMC with community activities such as Health Fairs, Homeless Veterans Stand Downs, Post Deployment Health Re-assessment (PDHRA) and Tribal Community Outreach programs. Interview patients applying for medical benefits. Verify eligibility/entitlement for benefits of all applicants using various methods including income assessments, military discharge documents, Veterans Information Solution (VIS), Enrollment System Redesign (ESR) and other means such as communications with VA Regional Office, VA Records Processing Centers and HEC Health Eligibility Center. Review various financial documents to include tax forms, bank records, and SSI/SSDI forms. Advise the veterans of their entitlement to various medical benefits and discusses co-payment requirements of veterans in discretionary categories. Extreme tact, diplomacy and privacy are required to explain complicated laws in this area. Extensive knowledge of the Medical Center and policies is required to respond to inquiries from veterans, Medical Center staff and other agencies regarding applying for care, eligibility, and Beneficiary Travel, etc. Ensure proper identification is utilized when processing the Veterans card according to national guidance. Monitor enrolled patient data base information on a regular basis (at a minimum, annually) to perform updates to health insurance data, income assessments for the Means Test and Pharmacy Co-pay Exemption programs as mandated by law. Provide exceptional customer service by exceeding the customer's expectations. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday; 08:00am- 4:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD13111A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/18/2026. 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. For this GS-05 position, if you have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, it must have been a GS-03 or higher to be eligible. 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: knowledge and experience in the field of patient administration, including medical records and related fields of medical administration; providing administrative support: filing, answering phones, greeting customers, miscellaneous office work; performing data entry; oral and written communication; and working knowledge of computer systems and software; providing positive, upbeat, customer service while interacting with patients and hospital staff. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have four years of education above High School. 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. 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 high school level. 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/. Additional Information 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
