Maine Department of Health and Human Services Direct Hire Vacancy Announcement Disability Claims Examiner

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CODE:  3066          PAY GRADE:  20 (Pro-tech)      ($15.05 - $20.28/hr.)



Value of State-paid Dental Insurance:  $13.69 biweekly



        Value of State-paid Health Insurance:

90% State Contribution (employee pays 10%):  $327.39 biweekly



Value of State's share of employee's retirement:  11.54% of pay

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Opening Date: November 13, 2012	Contact:	Holly Pomelow
Closing Date: November 28, 2012	Telephone:	(207) 287-3488, TTY users dial Maine relay 711
Location: Winthrop

Agency Information

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides supportive, preventive, protective, public health and intervention services that protect the public health and assist our customers in meeting their needs; and that assist families in providing for the developmental, health and safety needs of their children. DHHS strives to provide these programs and services while respecting the rights and preferences of individuals and families.

The Division of Disability Determination Services (DDS) is a major division in the Office of Family Independence within the Department of Health and Human Services. DDS works cooperatively with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide timely, accurate, and fair disability determinations for Maine citizens seeking social security disability benefits in accordance with Social Security policies, standards and regulations. DDS is staffed by 70 employees and processes 20,000 disability benefit applications annually. DDS has an annual budget of $8 million and is located in Winthrop. This recruitment is being conducted for current and future vacancies.

Job Duties

As a Disability Claims Examiner, you will be responsible for gathering and evaluating medical and psychological reports, vocational information, and other evidence on a claimant's condition. You will manage a caseload of approximately 135 cases, and be in contact with claimants and medical providers to gather the proper documentation. You will discuss the evidence with in-house medical and psychological consultants and prepare formal decisional documents. At times, you arrange special medical or psychological examinations. Much of the work you perform will be done on a computer. You will read the medical evidence on a computer screen and perform all elements of the claim process on the computer.

As a Disability Claims Examiner, you will be expected to synthesize complex medical information and apply it to national standards. You will need to be well organized in order to manage your caseload. The work is important, and you will be rewarded with the knowledge that through your efforts, people who are disabled and unable to work will receive financial benefits in a timely manner, and the process of applying for benefits will be less intimidating and stressful for them.

Requirements

In order to qualify, you must have a four (4) year combination of education, training, and/or experience providing knowledge and abilities required to obtain, evaluate, and adjudicate medical, psychiatric, and psychological evidence pertinent to claims for disability benefits.

Only post-secondary degrees from a College or University whose accreditation has been granted from a nationally recognized accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education will satisfy educational requirements. Information can be obtained at http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. Foreign degrees must be evaluated by the World Education Services for authentication and U.S. equivalency.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS: In addition to the application form, you must address each of the following supplemental questions in order to be scored properly:

1. Disability Claims Examiners review and analyze complex medical and psychological histories of individuals who seek disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. Briefly summarize those aspects of your background that would provide you with the technical knowledge necessary to understand and evaluate this information.
2. Disability Claims Examiners determine a claimant's medical eligibility for disability benefits based on the Examiner's evaluation of the claimant's medical records and a comparison of this evaluation to Social Security Administration rules, regulations, and guidelines. Please summarize those aspects of your background that demonstrate you can make these types of decisions.
3. Disability Claims Examiners have a great deal of independence in prioritizing their work and managing their caseload. However, Examiners must meet strict timeframes in completing their assigned duties. Briefly tell us about those aspects of your background that demonstrate your ability to self-manage your work and complete your duties within specified timeframes.
4. Disability Claims Examiners rely heavily on automation technology in processing disability claims. Examiners use both enterprise-level business applications and standardized desktop products such as Windows, MS Word, and Outlook in performing their daily duties. Briefly comment on your experiences in using automation technology to accomplish your work that demonstrates your degree of skill in using automation technology to perform your duties.