Medicaid Legislative Liaison & Special Projects Analyst (PS VI)

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Austin, TX

About The Position

Are you interested in leading and coordinating projects across teams of policy analysts? Do you have a passion for supporting and mentoring others through complex project implementation? Are you interested in positively contributing to the lives of Texans? The Legislative Liaison & Special Projects Analyst (Program Specialist VI) reports to the Director of Medicaid Medical and Dental Benefits Policy (MDBP) in the Office of Policy in HHSC Medicaid and CHIP Services (MCS). This position leads MDBP legislative bill assignments, coordinates analysis, and supports year-round activities related to legislative sessions, legislative inquiries, and bill implementation. This position also supports MDBP with leading on special projects, assignments, or other policy work. The Legislative Liaison & Special Projects Analyst performs highly advanced consultative, technical, analytical work, and is essential to the coordination and support of the development and implementation of Medicaid and CHIP medical and dental benefits. This position must be able to research, analyze, and synthesize complex information, such as current standards of care, evidence-based practices, and peer-reviewed literature as well as state and federal statute to help support MDBP staff in applying findings to policies, studies, and reports. The Legislative Liaison & Special Projects Analyst must be able to shepherd complex MDBP projects, coordinate staff and managers across teams and business areas, develop usable processes and tools, perform quality reviews, and facilitate the efficient use of project management processes. Legislative Liaison & Special Projects Analyst must be proactive in seeking input from other staff in the MCS Division and communicating across teams. This position must work as an effective team member in cross-divisional activities within HHSC, across the Office of Policy, and with other HHS entities, to include senior leadership. This position works under limited direction of the Director with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Knowledge of Health and Human Services agencies, entities, and programs
Knowledge of State and federal Medicaid and CHIP laws, legislation, and regulations
Knowledge of Texas legislative activities and processes
Knowledge of Project governance and processes
Skills in Project planning, evaluation, and implementation
Skills in Analyzing and evaluating complex federal and state legislation
Skills in Written and oral communication: making public presentations, writing technical information in an understandable format, active listening and engagement, professional exchange of information
Skills in Researching, analyzing, and synthesizing policy and program issues
Skills in Developing and evaluating policies and procedures, assessing risks, and making recommendations
Skills in Using personal computer application software such as Outlook, Teams, Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, and other similar programs
Ability to Remain highly and consistently organized
Ability to Manage multiple projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
Ability to Read, understand, analyze, and summarize bills and statutes
Ability to Identify significant issues raised by a proposed bill or other legislation
Ability to Understand how bills relate to other legislation being considered
Ability to Consider, evaluate, and synthesize legislative impacts to MDBP staff, program, and policies
Ability to Constructively and proactively communicate to ensure staff are aligned and remain informed
Ability to Effectively facilitate meetings and maintain relationships with staff and program stakeholders
Ability to Exercise creative problem-solving techniques in a highly complex environment
Ability to Work cooperatively as a team member in a fast-paced, deadline-orientated environment
Ability to Work independently and perform with a high degree of attention to detail
Ability to Work extended hours during legislative session, including evenings and weekends, in accordance with HHSC HR policy
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in a related field.
A minimum of two years of experience with policy analysis or healthcare policy development.
Experience contributing and cooperating within a team environment, collaborating with colleagues, and knowledge sharing.
Experience with project planning and coordination.

Nice To Haves

Medicaid policy or Texas legislative session experience preferred.
Serving as an intern in Medicaid and CHIP Services (MCS) or completion of a master’s degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of policy analysis experience.

Responsibilities

Coordinates, supports, and organizes year-round activities in MDBP related to legislative session, including bill analysis and assignments, legislative inquiries, related coordination across units, related presentations, reporting updates, and bill implementation.
Serves as a legislative liaison and primary contact for the MDBP unit during legislative session.
Fosters the planning, coordination, collaboration, and efficiency of implementing medical and dental benefit updates and reports subsequent to legislation.
Provides coordination and clear road maps for MDBP legislative projects, ensures staff know what needs to be done, when, and by whom.
Connects MDBP staff to appropriate internal and external stakeholders as needed.
Supports MDBP staff in outlining plans of action, defining boundaries, timelines and deliverables, and clarifies and communicates objectives.
Identifies dependencies, agency partners, critical paths, and potential bottlenecks before they become issues.
Proactively manages risks, visualizes sequences of activities and milestones, maintains documentation, and manages the reporting, tracking, and communication of progress to staff and members of leadership through various manners (e.g. meetings, workgroups, documents, dashboards, presentations, memos, emails, talking points, templates, spreadsheets, software systems).
Researches, analyzes, and synthesizes medical and dental policy documents, federal and state laws and regulations, bills and other related analysis, as well as encounter and claims processing system information.
Conducts complex research on benefit coverage in Medicaid fee-for-service, managed care organizations (MCO), private payers, and other state Medicaid programs.
Performs complex governmental policy analysis and research involving federal and state laws, regulations and guidance, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Texas Medicaid state plan, the Texas Uniform Managed Care Manual and Contracts, the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual, and other relevant sources.
Attends and facilitates workgroup meetings addressing MDBP policy information, including public meetings or workgroups engaged in analysis and evaluation of policy issues or initiatives.
Coordinates and supports MDBP policy changes and other required activities, such as changes to Texas Administrative Code rules and the Medicaid State Plan.
Documents and escalates issues to the Medical and Dental Benefits Policy Director and Deputy Director.
Drafts and develops complex memos, briefs, and other documents for leadership of HHSC, Medicaid and CHIP Services, and the Office of Policy, etc.
Performs complex quality review of MDBP policy language and related processes.
Cooperates with HHSC staff and other HHS entities to coordinate reviews and receive feedback on medical and dental benefit policies, the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual, and other materials (e.g. stakeholder responses, leadership briefings, reports, presentations, meetings minutes and agendas) to verify information is appropriate, current, accurate, and in compliance with policies, procedures, rules, statutes and other requirements.
Performs and prepares medical and dental benefit policy and program materials in response to internal and external requests in a professional and timely manner.
Prepares technical project summaries and keeps leadership updated in a timely manner.
Serves as a resource for staff.
Works with HHSC internal and external stakeholders, HHS entities and vendors to identify and mitigate risks, resolve issues, discuss program effectiveness, and identify training and other needs.
Develops, implements, and maintains usable tools and resources, operating procedures, standardized processes, trainings, templates, and documents for the purpose of maintaining efficiency and order of related tasks and job responsibilities.
Performs other duties as assigned to support the agency.