About the Role
Benefits Specialist
US Remote
Full time
Why is Health Advocate a great place to work? For starters, Health Advocate employees enjoy helping people every single day. Employees are given the training they need to do their jobs well, and they work with supervisors and staff who are supportive and friendly. Employees have room to grow, and many of Health Advocate’s supervisors are promoted from within the company. Join our award winning team!
BASIC FUNCTION
Responsible for interfacing with internal and external resources to provide guidance and direction regarding benefit plan options, cost factors and detailed benefit review; answer incoming calls and respond to benefit inquires; place outbound follow-up calls for issues that cannot be resolved during the initial call; provide guidance to members on open enrollment issues, questions and concerns about benefit options which may include comparing and contrasting benefits during open enrollment, new hires and change of status
MAJOR JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES
Benefits Functions – Interface with internal and external resources to provide guidance and direction regarding benefit plan options, cost factors, and detailed benefit review ensuring adherence to department and corporate policies and procedures
*Answer incoming calls/cases and respond to member benefit inquires, cases and calls assigned by supervisor and place outbound calls and/or contacts to members for calls and cases that cannot be resolved during the initial call
*Provide objective information to members on open enrollment issues, questions and concerns about benefit options, which may include comparing and contrasting benefits during open enrollment, new hire election period and change of status
*Connect with members by phone and quickly develop a rapport to help the individual to navigate their benefit choices and options
*Answer members’ questions related to benefit plans (i.e., medical, dental, pharmacy, vision, life, STD, LTD, and other benefits) consumer driven health plans, FSAs, provider selection, qualifying life events, open enrollment, and estimated cost of care
*Review plan options and costs for members considering individual health insurance plans, Marketplace/exchange plans, COBRA, and Medicare plans
*Exercise exceptional customer service skills in an effort to optimize each contact with the member
*Ensure that calls are processed in strict adherence to established policies, procedures, quality standards as well as applicable federal laws and regulations
*Know and support approved departmental and corporate policies and procedures
*Follow policies and procedures to remain in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including the privacy of employee health information in compliance with federal and state laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), Affordable Care Act, and other legislation*Resolve benefit issues by identifying issue(s) and researching in a timely manner ensuring adherence to department and corporate policies and procedures
*Follow research through until resolution is reached for member
*Document all benefit issues thoroughly, maintaining department files and appropriate systems
*Continuously evaluate the status of all work efforts, ensuring all tasks are prioritized to assist in providing timely and quality services
*Assist in monitoring issue trends, escalating such trends to supervisor to determine appropriate actions necessary to eliminate future occurrences and improve service levels
*Maintain strict confidentiality of information provided by customer or data accessed within assigned systems
Team Interfaces/Customer Service – Establish and maintain a professional relationship with internal/external customers, team members and department contacts
* Cooperate with team members to meet goals or to complete tasks
* Provide quality customer service that exceeds customer expectations and improves level of service being provided
* Treat all internal/external customers, team members, and department contacts with dignity/respect
* Escalate to supervisor any situation outside the employee’s control that could adversely impact the services being provided
Mental and Physical Requirements
*This position will be exposed mainly to an indoor office environment and will be expected to work near or around computers, telephones, and printers
*The nature of the work in this position is sedentary and the incumbent will be sitting most of the time.
*Essential physical functions of the job include fingering, grasping, pulling hand over hand, and repetitive motions to utilize general computer software/hardware continuously throughout the work day
*Essential mental functions of this position include concentrating on tasks, reading information, and verbal/written communication to others continuously throughout the work day
Related Duties as Assigned –
* The job description documents the general nature and level of work but is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties, and responsibilities required of job incumbents
* Consequently, job incumbents may be asked to perform other duties as required
* Also note, that reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions outlined above
* Please contact your local Employee Relations representative to request a review of any such accommodations
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Applicant for this job will be expected to meet the following minimum qualifications.
Education
* High School Degree or GED required
* Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in business administration, liberal arts, public health, healthcare management, or a related field preferred
Experience
* Minimum of one to two years customer service
* Minimum of one to two years benefits experience
Other
* Basic knowledge of MS Word and Excel required
* Must score acceptably on job related testing
* Ability to pass standardized interview
* Based on assignment may need to be bilingual in English, Spanish, etc.
* Knowledge of the following is preferred:
- COBRA</li>
- Medicare A, B, MediGap, Supplement plans, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D plans
- High deductible health plans including Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) and Health Saving Accounts (HSAs)
- Flex Spending Accounts (FSA) , including limited FSAs
- Coordination of benefits and which plan is primary – simple cases (commercial plans, Medicare plans)
- Summary Plan Documents (SPDs) and Certificates of Coverage (COCs)
- Government programs, resources and legislation and mandates including but not limited to Affordable Care Act, FMLA, Medicaid, CHIP
- Group Health Plans (fully insured and self-insured)
- Pharmacy benefits including injectable medications
- Individual Health Plans and Marketplace/Exchanges plans
A successful incumbent in the job will be able to demonstrate the following skills and abilities:
- Strong communication skills and phone etiquette
- Ability to explain complex issues to members
- Highly effective listening skills
- Strong problems solving/issue resolution skills
- Excellent customer service and customer resolution skills
- Strong Organizational and administrative skills
- Ability to work in a team environment