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Health Benefits Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VA Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System / James Mountain Inhofe VAMC / Business Office

Summary

The position is assigned to the Business Office of the Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System and performs a broad range of administrative duties to support Veteran Benefits and registration and intake activities within the Medical Center. This includes supporting the business unit that administers health and related benefits within an integrated system of VA health care resources and health care access points.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/16/2026 to 01/26/2026
Salary
$40,736 to - $52,957 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Tulsa, OK
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSU-12866009-26-JHG
Control number
854545800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current, Federal employees (serving on a career/career-conditional appointment or covered under OPM's Interchange Agreement); Reinstatement/Transfer Eligible; Special Authorities; Peace Corps & AmericCorps Vista; Military Spouses; Preference eligible veterans or veterans separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three or more years of continuous active service. FIRST CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO CURRENT VA Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System EMPLOYEES

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Duties

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Major duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

  • Performs technical activities involved with screening, processing, and assisting Veterans, non-Veterans, and beneficiaries seeking multiple medical treatment benefits.
  • Assists MSA staff with loading VA Registry exam requests and traveling Veterans into database upon check in.
  • Advising applicants of the health benefits to which they are legally entitled; responding to technical questions regarding Veterans administrative rights and situational eligibility for healthcare; and providing Veterans with administrative advice and guidance.
  • Provides information regarding benefits to Veterans and responds to complex questions involving regulations and/or beneficiary entitlement.
  • Communicates results to patients, families, agency employees, and Veterans organizations.
  • Provides follow up with the PCMM coordinator for assignment to the Primary Care team after initial appointment is scheduled.
  • Works with Veterans Health Information Systems Technology enrollment software.
  • Monitors enrolled patient database information to perform updates to health insurance data, income assessments for the Means Test and Pharmacy Co-pay Exemption programs.
  • Facilitates receipt of all VA & Non-VA medical records to support indexing of records to records system; ensures records are available for review upon vesting appointment.
  • Reviews and processes VA healthcare eligibility in conjunction with Department of Defense (DoD) Sharing Agreements (TriCare & CHAMPVA) to determine eligibility for VA health care referencing multiple sources, such as the Health Eligibility Center (HEC), VIS, and or/military discharge papers to assign a priority group to the Veteran.
  • Reviews and processes new and recurring applications (paper, in-person, and electronic) for medical care (e.g., Dental, Behavioral Health, Geriatrics and Extended Care, Diagnostic and Therapeutic, etc.) through applying the appropriate regulatory authority to each program.
  • Processes re-enrollment into the system and assists Veterans in changing facilities if necessary.
Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Benefits Assistant/PD14665A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 of the Incumbent is primarily sedentary, involving sitting for extended periods while working on a computer or performing administrative tasks. Occasionally, light physical effort may be required, such as walking short distances, climbing stairs, and carrying light office items like files, documents, or office supplies. This position does not typically involve strenuous physical activity.
  • 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 dentification 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/26/2026.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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 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:

  1. Comprehensive knowledge of pertinent laws, federal regulations, polices guidelines, directives, and handbooks.
  2. Comprehensive knowledge of Healthcare System memorandums, administrative procedures and processes, standard operating procedures, internal policies, and other guidance related to such areas as eligibility for medical benefits, outpatient programs, patient scheduling, admissions and discharges, patient transfers, healthcare network capabilities for patient referrals and transfers, employee health, beneficiary travel, inpatient and outpatient statistical reporting, and others related Medical Center organization and administration.;
  3. Knowledge of the Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Act, HIPPA guidelines, and other authorities with respect to release of information and established guidelines to preserve the confidentiality of record contents.
  4. Extensive knowledge of the organizational and interdepartmental relationships of an active Medical Center to effectively relay the medical benefits package to all inquiring parties.
  5. Comprehensive knowledge and the ability to use several computer systems, and varied functions of computer spreadsheets, database computer applications, etc. to produce and maintain a wide variety of documents.
  6. Ability to participate in studies which may require statistical measurement, data analysis, and report preparation using databases and dashboards. Prepares reports as required and makes reasonable recommendations for system or process improvement.

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 beyond the high school level. Note: (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

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 high school level in excess of 60 credits.
.

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/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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