TERM Government Assistance Eligibility Specialist I, Grade 17

Montgomery County Government • Silver Spring, Maryland, United States • $59.90k - $94.13k / year • 22h ago

About the Position

“Please note: The salary range above represents this position’s earning potential. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $59,897 to $65,236, based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.”

TERM Government Assistance Eligibility Specialist I, Grade 17

This is a one-year term position with an expiration date of July 1, 2026

WHO WE ARE

Montgomery County is located adjacent to Washington, D.C., and with over one million residents, is the most populous County in the State of Maryland. The County is also the most diverse County in the State and ranks among the top ten most diverse Counties in the nation. Montgomery County contains many major U.S. government offices, scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses.

The Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, is responsible for the delivery of the County’s public health and human services that meet the needs of our community’s most vulnerable children, adults, and seniors. The Department provides services through more than 120 programs at more than 20 locations. With over 2,000 employees, the Department of Health and Human Services is the largest County Department.

As a department, we believe the health and wellness of the county can only be achieved by ensuring that every resident has fair opportunities to reach their fullest potential. This means access to quality housing, transportation, education, employment, health care, human services, safe neighborhoods, and healthy food. HHS provides critical services for residents who face a variety of obstacles in achieving their full potential. HHS plays an essential role in building a healthy and strong community.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The Office of Eligibility and Support Services (OESS) is currently recruiting for an enthusiastic professional to serve as a TERM Government Assistance Eligibility Specialist I as part of the Connector Entity program. We are seeking an individual who is enthusiastic about public service, knowledgeable in health insurance affordability programs, and motivated to help diverse communities navigate Maryland’s health coverage options through Maryland Health Connection.

What You'll Be Doing

This position plays a critical role in supporting the mission of the Office of Eligibility and Support Services (OESS) and the Connector Entity (CE) program by ensuring that individuals and families have access to accurate, timely, and comprehensive assistance with health insurance eligibility and enrollment. This role directly contributes to reducing the uninsured rate in Montgomery County and strengthening access to essential health coverage.

Core responsibilities include:

Providing direct assistance to consumers in determining eligibility and completing applications for MAGI Medicaid, the Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP), Qualified Health Plans (QHP), and Stand-Alone Dental Plans (SADP) through the Maryland Health Connection (MHC).
Supporting individuals and families throughout the enrollment lifecycle, including initial application, documentation submission, plan selection, renewals, post-enrolment issues, and disenrollment.
Conducting outreach and public education activities to increase awareness of health coverage options and ensure equitable access for diverse communities across Montgomery County.
Facilitating informed plan selection by accessing consumer needs, explaining premium and cost-sharing requirements, and discussing potential tax implications associated with Marketplace plans.
Troubleshooting system-related issues and providing guidance to consumers experiencing challenges with the MHC online system, following established Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) escalation procedures.
Making appropriate referrals to agencies such as the Health Education and Advocacy Unit (HEAU), the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA), or other community resources for grievances, complaints, or additional social service needs.
Maintaining certification as a Health Insurance Navigator, completing all required MHBE annual training and continuing education to ensure expertise in ACA-related programs and state policies.
Ensuring accurate documentation and adherence to program standards, including confidentiality requirements, privacy and security protocols, and all CE and OESS operating procedures.
Assisting with operational tasks and special assignments that support program goals, outreach strategies, quality assurance efforts, and overall service delivery across CE locations and community sites.
Performing other job-related duties as assigned.

Offsite work required

This position requires the ability to attend meetings or perform work at locations outside the office.

Evening and Weekend Hours

This position requires the ability to work evening and weekend hours.

Term Position

This is a one-year term position with an expiration date of July 1, 2026

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

Experience: None

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

This is a one-year term position with an expiration date of July 1, 2026

Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences

Preferred Criteria:

The applications of those individuals meeting the minimum qualifications will be reviewed to determine the extent, relevance of training, and experience in the following areas:

Experience assisting consumers with eligibility, enrollment, or renewals for Medicaid, MCHP, or Qualified Health Plans (QHP) through the Maryland Health Connection or another health insurance marketplace
Experience providing customer service or case management support to diverse populations in a human services or health coverage setting
Experience troubleshooting system issues or resolving consumer inquiries related to online eligibility and enrollment platforms
Multilingual proficiency and the ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats

Interview Criteria:

Interview selection will be based on the following interview preference criteria:

Experience assisting individuals or families with Medicaid, QHP, enrollment, or consumer guidance related to premiums, tax implications, or cost-sharing requirements.
Ability to provide high-quality customer service to individuals from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, including those facing barriers to health coverage.
Experience explaining or processing Medicaid, MCHP, or ACA Marketplace eligibility requirements, including documentation needs and application verification steps.
Experience and ability in navigating and using electronic eligibility or enrollment systems, including resolving consumer issues and following escalation procedures when appropriate.
Experience with strong communication and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage sensitive or complex consumer situations with professionalism and clarity.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.