Summary This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Offices of Hearings and Inquiries (OHI), Ombudsman Staff. As a Health Insurance Specialist, GS-0107-14, you will serve as the Deputy Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman (DMBO), providing technical advice to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman (MBO) and Director of the Ombudsmen Staff and OHI leadership on issues directly related to Medicare beneficiary rights and protections. Responsibilities Receive and respond to Medicare beneficiary inquiries directly and by referral. Provide support to the MBO and guidance to other staff or contractors with responsibility to respond to program enrollees, their families, caregivers and advocates. Provide guidance to staff and contractors to ensure they remain neutral, and neither act as an advocate for any individual or organization but, rather, an advocate for fairness and accuracy. Serves as an expert source of information and referral, and aid in answering individuals’ questions, and assist in the resolution of concerns and critical situations. Assist in the development of the annual MBO Report to Congress which includes recommendations for improvements to the program. Recommend performance-based metrics for use across CMS to support the complaint, grievance and inquiry processes. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. Your resume must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration. In order to qualify for the GS-14 , you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: Working independently or as a project member providing support in planning, designing, and/or implementing healthcare initiatives; Conducting case research and analysis of beneficiary inquiries; AND Providing advisory services to management in matters pertaining to healthcare. 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; religious; 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. Time-in-Grade: To be eligible, current Federal employees must have served at least 52 weeks (one year) at the next lower grade level from the position/grade level(s) to which they are applying. Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12666628 Education Additional Information Bargaining Unit Position: Yes-American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1923 Tour of Duty: Flexible Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure: Required Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement; however, CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in telework combined with alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Supervisory positions must report a minimum 2 times per week and non-Supervisory positions must report a minimum of 2 times per pay period. Locality Pay: Locality pay is based on the duty location of the position. For more information on locality and pay scales, please click here. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.