Director, Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, (HICAP, Medicare Counseling) Orange Coun

Description:

HOURS: 40 hours per week (full-time)

FLSA CATEGORY: Exempt

LOCATION: Irvine, CA, Orange County

ACCOUNTABILITY: President & CEO

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is a program of the Council on Aging-Southern California (COASC), a non-profit corporation serving older adults and individuals with disabilities since 1973. The mission of COASC is to promote the independence, health, and dignity of older adults through compassion, education, and advocacy

HICAP is a program that helps people of any age navigate Medicare. HICAP counselors provide Medicare beneficiaries and individuals soon eligible for Medicare with objective counseling, assistance and education about Medicare and related health insurance plans and long-term care planning, services, and supports.

PURPOSE OF WORK: Provide leadership, oversight, and direction for HICAP Orange County in educating Medicare beneficiaries, their family members and caregivers, and the public about HICAP services and Medicare benefits, coverage, and consumer rights.

RESPONSIBILITY: Administer team of paid and volunteer state-registered counselors to achieve state and county grant program outcomes. Develop and maintain relationships with community and government-based organizations. Maintain and expand brand awareness across diverse older adult populations in the County.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES (including but not limited to):

• Responsible for all HICAP related activities, day-to-day program operations, program personnel, and program volunteers. The HICAP Director is the local community liaison for HICAP in the local jurisdiction.
• Sustain working knowledge and compliance of federal and State laws, regulations, rules, policies, program requirements, and automated information systems applicable to HICAP.
• Meet or exceed minimum benchmark performance measures (service units) as specified by contract. Conduct performance measurement reviews throughout the grant year to meet performance targets.
• Prepare annual HICAP budgets and compare monthly expenditures to planned expenditures and make adjustments in spending as needed.
• Maintain high levels of client satisfaction and service quality in counseling and public education.
• Report to county/state representatives any information vital to the program’s effectiveness, industry marketing abuse trends, and Medicare fraud trends. Respond to information requests by the State and County.
• Responsible for, and sole authority for, authorizing the filing of complaints to any regulatory agency on behalf of HICAP clients.
• Seeks own continuation training to sustain high level of contemporary knowledge of Medicare and related insurance plans and coverage and consumer rights and protections.
• Arrange for counseling sites throughout the service jurisdiction.
• Conduct, or oversee the presentation of, community education.
• Conduct quality service methods for measuring the accuracy of counseling and education information.
• Provide case management supervision, including all cases which may need legal intervention and make referrals, as appropriate.
• Collect and record accurate and timely program performance data.
• Prepare periodic statistical analysis of program performance to help understand and explain impact of HICAP on the community.
• Maintain security/destruction of any client and sensitive personal records/information.
• Participate in all State required meetings and trainings. Sole public spokesperson for HICAP Orange County unless other staff are authorized.
• Responsible for, and sole authority for, making recommendations for the registration of counselor trainees.
• Prepare and execute plan for recruitment, training, and retention of counselors.
• Develop and oversee all counselor training required to meet state standards.
• Coordinate and oversee staff and volunteer counselors providing community education and outreach services.
• Serve as member of COASC Leadership Team addressing company-wide strategic planning, policies and procedures, identification and implementation of technology solutions, business/grant opportunities.

Requirements:

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree - Human Services, Social Science, Gerontology, or related field. Master’s Degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years managerial and supervisory experience, preferably in non-profit work environment, including program management, government contract terms and conditions reviews and compliance, budget development and financial reviews, and staff recruitment, training and retention.
• Work experience with health insurance programs (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, Marketplace) or Medicare plans preferred.
• Minimum 5 years public speaking experience, (small and large groups).
• Successful completion of new HICAP counselor registration requirements; maintain annual registration status.
• Life-long learner focusing on older adult related topics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluency in 2nd language highly desirable (e.g. Spanish, Farsi, Chinese, Korean, Arabic).
• Proactive, self-starter capable of working with minimal supervision.
• Well-organized with ability to multitask.
• High proficiency in Microsoft 365 products - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, CoPilot and Internet search engines. Ability to quickly learn new technology- based tools and share knowledge with staff and volunteers.
• Valid California driver's license, proof of insurance and reliable transportation.
• Proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
• Successful completion of a background check, including a national criminal records check.

WORKING CONDITIONS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform this job. While performing the duties of this job the employee will be required to sit for periods of time. Standing, walking, and bending are required movements. The employee will occasionally need to lift approximately 20 lbs.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

The ability to transport oneself to needed appointments with reliable transportation is required.

Occasional overnight travel may be required.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

The Council on Aging – Southern California is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status.