Insurance Analyst I

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Payroll and Insurance Manager, the Insurance Analyst I is responsible for basic accounting and administrative support functions.  The Insurance Analyst I position determines group insurance eligibility and requires timely processing of various annuitant and survivor group insurance forms into the TRS system, the CMS Membership system, and the CMS third-party administrator’s system. This position reviews incoming mail, researches and responds to member inquiries, drafts written correspondence, inputs beneficiary death records, researches address discrepancies including returned mail, and updates membership records based on various insurance reports. The incumbent performs various data entry tasks associated with annuitant and beneficiary insurance enrollment and initiates payroll adjustments. The incumbent counsels annuitants and survivors by responding to phone calls, emails, and written correspondence. The incumbent must have a working knowledge of the statutory benefits structure of TRS as well as the statutes governing the Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) and the State Employees Group Insurance Program (SEGIP).  The incumbent must be able to work in multiple systems at the same time, pay attention to detail, possess excellent written and oral communication skills, and prioritize work to meet assigned deadlines.  In addition, the individual must be able to analyze relative data, make logical decisions, and act upon them.

Essential Functions

• Provide basic accounting and administrative support to the Payroll and Insurance Department. 
• Review member and survivor Participation Election (PE) forms for the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) and the State Employees Group Insurance Program (SEGIP).  Review service credit history and determine eligibility for participation in the Program.  Establish the effective date of insurance coverage and identify the appropriate insurance eligibility code/s. Generate letters requesting additional information when incomplete insurance forms and inefficient supporting documentation is received.
• Input TRIP and State Participation Election form data into the CMS membership system and review the data the following business day in the CMS third-party administrator's system.  Seek corrective action on inaccurate data transmittals.
• Review incoming mail in Laserfiche.  Responsible for moving workflow items into the appropriate working and verify that all work items are scanned into the appropriate member record. 
• Research and respond to telephone calls, emails, faxes, internal inquiries, and written correspondence. May be required to prepare individualized letters and responses for the Payroll and Insurance Manager’s signature. 

Essential Functions Continued

• Counsel annuitants and beneficiaries on insurance eligibility, insurance benefits, insurance plan options, insurance enrollment, insurance coverage, insurance premiums, and insurance related payroll adjustments.
• Review the TRS system daily and user action reports. Process updated information into the member record.
• Assist with research and review of daily TRIP payroll files including the bi-annual open enrollment files submitted by the CMS third-party administrator.   
• Research member addresses in response to returned mail.  Send Address Change Forms to members, as needed.
• Research dependent obituary publications, obtain dependent death certificates, and input dependent deaths into the CMS third-party administrator’s system.  Input member death information into the CMS membership system and verify the death information successfully transferred to the CMS third-party administrator’s system. 
• Analyze dual insurance enrollments and work with reciprocal systems to ensure coverage with the appropriate retirement system.
• Assist with direct pay insurance premium bills for those whose annuity benefit is insufficient to cover the cost of the insurance.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to analyze and interpret data                                                                                                       
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills                                                                                  
• Demonstrated time management and priority setting skills                                                                           
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality                                                                                                       
• Excellent organizational skills                     

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in math, education, business, or a related degree. Candidates without a degree must possess four (4) years of progressive responsibility in a related field.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills and the ability to communicate effectively with co-workers and the public both verbally and through written correspondence.
• Preferred experience with pensions, benefits and or employee relations.
• Critical skills required are analytical skills, computational skills, communication skills and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to utilize existing computer applications and interact effectively and diplomatically with members.

Benefits

• State, health, dental, life, and vision insurance
• 12 vacation, 12 sick, and 3 personal time days of compensated time
• Teachers’ Retirement System Pension
• Deferred compensation plan