Health Care Advocate

General Description:

The Health
Care Advocate, as part of the Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN), the
New York State Ombudsprogram for Managed Long Term Care, will assist seniors
and people with disabilities as they transition into and navigate Medicaid
Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC). The Advocate will work with consumers to
resolve issues with their MLTC plans.

Reports to: Director
of Services

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide
  direct in person consumer assistance, advocacy, and education for MLTC
  participants/caregivers by explaining enrollment and disenrollment,
  benefits, coverage and access rules and procedures, member rights and
  responsibilities, and appeals. Information will also be provided through
  distribution of written material.
• Answer
  a live legal helpline during assigned shifts.
• Assist
  participants/caregivers with raising and resolving quality of care and
  quality of life issues. Train other community-based organization advocates
  on these and other issues, and prepare do it yourself template materials
  for participants/caregivers to use.
• Assist
  participants/caregivers with accessing records from the Managed Long-term
  Care plans.
• Explain
  the grievance and appeal process and assist participants/caregivers in
  resolving problems and issues using skilled negotiation techniques and
  providing assistance in filing grievances and appeals when informal
  problem resolution proves unsuccessful.
• Provide
  consumer outreach and education presentations at other community-based
  organizations and to participants/caregivers and advocates. Assist with
  developing and maintaining an outreach and education campaign.
• Comply
  with all legal requirements established by NY State Department of Health
  for obtaining consent, ensuring access to records, coordinating contacts
  with plans, coordinating referrals, and for ensuring confidentiality, and
  protect against inappropriate disclosures of identifying information.
• Ensure
  all significant client data and service provision details are current and
  accurate, and that they are documented in a timely manner into CIDNY’s and
  the contracted provider’s databases.
• Maintain
  established quality assurance procedures. Conduct quality assurance
  reviews of cases, using case notes and information reports in the database.
• Attend
  Agency’s in-service training and unit meetings as well as any other
  agency-related activities. Conduct trainings regarding client education,
  navigational and appeal services, consumer rights and responsibilities.
• Identify
  systemic trends or practices that affect people with disabilities and
  seniors and work closely with other stakeholders to design a systematic
  response.
• Assist
  in preparation of reports concerning the program.
• Research
  as required.
• Other
  responsibilities as identified by Supervisor.

Qualifications:

Education and/or experience required:

• Must
  have earned a JD and be admitted to the practice of law in NY or pending
  admission
• Demonstrated
  experience providing assistance to people with health insurance and health
  care access issues.
• Previous
  work with the disability community or personal experience with disability
  a plus.

Skills, Licenses, and/or competencies
required:

• Knowledge
  of health care coverage information, eligibility rules, and resources;
• Understanding
  of social service delivery systems and government/benefits resources
  including laws and polices related to Medicare and Medicaid;
• Excellent
  advocacy, interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills required;
• Individual
  must have time management skills to maintain individual/community
  outreaches, caseload, documentation and administrative requirements;
• In
  addition, the ability to work well independently as well as part of a
  team;
• Must
  be computer literate of basic Microsoft Programs; knowledge of Salesforce
  a plus;
• Familiarity
  with the Americans with Disabilities Act preferred.
• Respectful
  and comfortable with persons from different cultural and socio-economic
  backgrounds.
• Ability
  to speak a language other than English strongly preferred. 

Salary:  $62,000 + Excellent Benefits Package

We conform
to all laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment
opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities,
individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender,
national origin, disability status, genetic information and testing, family and
medical leave, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, protected
veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit
retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in
writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who
assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose
discrimination.

How to Apply:

Please
send a thoughtful cover letter and resume to Paige Munson, Director of
Services. Please use the job title as the email header.