C-suite executives already wince every time they hear the words “health care.” Now, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 is adding to CEO fears of escalating mental health expenditures as the cost of benefits rise in tandem with coverage mandates.But, there is a way to alleviate that fear and manage costs while continuing to offer cutting-edge benefits to employees.
Businesses working to make benefit plan design and administration changes before The Act’s deadline should write an employee assistance program (EAP) into the front end of their benefit option. EAPs cost a fraction of a cent per employee (per year) compared to other benefits – quite literally pennies on the dollar – and can be leveraged to manage the use of mental health benefits in a healthy, responsible way.
Specifically, EAPs that offer in-person employee needs assessments and short-term counseling can act as a gatekeeper to the mental health benefit by:
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Providing goal-focused EAP counseling to resolve the issue without the need to use the mental health benefit
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Directing employees who do need mental health benefits to the right care so they get the most effective treatment
These two functions cannot be underestimated. The first thing a high-touch EAP will do is assess an employee’s needs and help them directly (at NO cost to the employer or employee) as appropriate. That can mean providing the employee with goal-focused EAP counseling or directing them to other available resources.
Without an EAP, employees may pursue mental health treatments on their own, engaging the first mental health professional they find – not necessarily one specializing in the care they need because they haven’t been first assessed by a neutral EAP with no fiduciary interest in the case. Cases accessing the mental health benefit without a proper EAP assessment expend time and mental health benefit money on treatment not matched to a client’s need.
Furthermore, EAPs provide benefits beyond mental health support that can prevent additional problems from occurring such as childcare, eldercare, legal or financial assistance. EAPs work with the employer to resolve a wide range of workplace issues, like employee behavioral challenges, supervisor/manager relations, team issues and interpersonal conflicts; all of which can lead to employee stress and less engagement.
The Society for Human Resource Management may have said it best when it recently provided guidance to the Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance, Employee Benefits Security Administration, stating: “EAPs should be able to continue to provide this important gatekeeper function which improves employee productivity, treatment outcomes, and reduces costs.”
Tags: benefits, EAP, Employee Assistance Program, health care, human resources, mental health parity
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