About this role
Job SummaryThis position serves as the Health Benefits Assistant (HBA) within Business Service located at the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS). The HBA provides a high level of administrative and data support to Business Service to include the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), as well as to the San Francisco VA Medical Center. The SFVAHCS is a tertiary referral center, treating over 60,000 unique patients.
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/11/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: managing purchase cards, as well as inputting orders into purchase card system, generate memorandum or letters and other documents, knowledge of health care delivery systems related to financial management, management of physical and human resources, project management, process improvement methods, statistical analysis, data generation and evaluation in order to perform the day to day work, experience as a timekeeper, knowledge and skill in operating various local computer programs such as VISTA and CPRS, V-Signals, PATS-R and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). 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/.
Major DutiesDuties for the position may include but are not limited to: - Review and determine Veterans' eligibility and enrollment for VA health care; complete and process VA Form 10-10EZR and verify service, financial, and insurance information. - Serve as the primary administrative point of contact for Veterans during their visit, coordinating needs from arrival through departure and providing New Patient Orientation and warm hand-off to scheduling. - Verify service-connected conditions, special eligibility categories (e.g., Combat Veteran, POW, Purple Heart, Agent Orange), and communicate eligibility decisions, priority groups, copay status, and appeal rights. .- Enter, update, and maintain Veteran demographic, insurance, military service, and eligibility data in VistA/DHCP; ensure accuracy for future care, communication, billing, and workload credit. - Review and reconcile administrative discrepancies in the Incomplete Encounter Management Module (IEMM) to ensure proper data transmission and workload capture.- Perform Decedent Affairs duties including completion of death packets, coordination with NOK, clinical staff, funeral homes, and stakeholders, while ensuring full regulatory compliance. - Meet with Veterans and caregivers to complete admissions agreements, review policies, update demographics, and ensure accurate processing of inpatient movements and provider orders. - Process Beneficiary Travel claims, determine eligibility, authorize funds, reconcile vouchers, and arrange transportation using the most appropriate and economical mode. Work Schedule: Full-time; Schedule varies; Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: Not Authorized Position Description/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD03249A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedRequirementsYou 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. 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 or 2-year trial 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.