Benefits Analyst (Administrative Analyst/Specialist - Exempt I), Human Resources Division

Job Summary:

The Benefits Analyst will require independent performance of specialized administrative and analytical duties and be responsible for processing fee waiver and summer discount applications, maintaining the minimum threshold of 95% of the health benefit status information in the ACAS database, and creating leaves of absence documentation. The Benefits and Fee Waiver Analyst will also need to provide high level of support in evaluating and resolving complex issues related to benefits, leaves of absence and ACA. This position requires independent performance of specialized administrative and analytical duties.

Responsibilities

Benefits
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge on benefit offerings such as medical plans, dental plans, vision plans, flexcash program, retirement savings accounts, HCRA/DCRA and voluntary plans.
• Create, modify and evaluate the department's Benefit Enrollment Worksheet, ACA Enrollment Worksheet, Open Enrollment Worksheet, and Informational Sheet for employees.
• Coordinate daily operations and provide lead work direction and training to Benefits Assistant.
• Capable of taking initiative to independently plan, organize, coordinate and perform work in various situations where numerous and diverse demands are involved. Handle Mutiple priorities to assist employees when they call or email the benefits line and benefits email regarding their questions and concerns. Analyze and address issues through reasoning, interpretation and application of administrative guides and policies as it relates to benefit eligibility, eligible dependents and required documents, educate employees about their own benefit coverage, explanation on similarities and differences between plans, general retirement questions, continuation of benefits, open enrollment questions, technical issues with the electronic form, etc.
• Notify and follow up on selected employees about the Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV) audit. Collect, evaluate, store and track required documents for individuals as they submit their paperwork.
• Demonstrate ability to anticipate issues with the documents employees submit and work with employees directly to address these issues proactively. Refer to policies and practices for guidance on acceptable documents for Cal PERS.
• Serve as the program administrator for key events such as the President's Retirement Luncheon. Work and coordinate with individuals at all levels within the organization at various departments and other entities such as SMSU and ASI.
• Ability to effectively interpret, organize, present information and ideas and recommendations related to the events' theme, decorations and food options. Create itemized list of decorations cost, food cost, awards, etc. Submit vendor quotes and promo justification to request requisition with Purchasing.
• Send out campus wide notifications regarding the event, and communicate with retirees who are being honored at the event. Compile data on those being honored and provide it to the President's office for review. Develop and alter the PowerPoint, program for the event, invitations, etc. Decorate, coordinate and supervise all components on the day of the event.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Program
• Demonstrate expertise in investigating and analyzing the employee's Job Data, Employee Summary and CSU Benefit Summary to audit information on the Health Benefits Plan Enrollment (HBD-12} forms and identify any discrepancies.
• Ability to effectively and independently interpret, research and examine the ACA Safe Harbor Reports to assign appropriate status codes to each health benefit status change. Each status code is tied to an effective date and assigned a description to clarify when each code would be assigned to an employee.
• Perform accurate data entry for ACA status codes, including but not limited to, recording dates for new hire and waiting period, coverage offer and election, ineligibility, post-90-day HIPAA election, coverage decline, administrative decline, loss of coverage, voluntary and permanent separation cancellations, and temporary suspension due to unpaid status.
• Update and maintain the minimum threshold of 95% of the health benefit status information in the ACAS database for CSUSB employees. The ACAS database serves as the official tracking and reporting system of ACA required information for the CSU to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
• Refer to policies and user guides to independently review best practices for the goals and soundness in the judgement of appropriate status codes for each health benefit status change. Contact the State Controller's Office for guidance on specific scenarios that require more research to determine ACA status codes.

Fee Waiver Summer Discount Programs
• Contribute to the production, testing, development, implementation and continuous a