Experience with EAP programs...

djacobs475

We are thinking about including an EAP program to our Benefits portfolio.
I wonder if any of you have had any experiences - good or bad - that you can give me your input on.

The question is: in this economic climate, is there real value in paying out for such a program? Or is the perceived value high, but not the real value?

I would greatly appreciate your input.

Thanks, as usual.

Tallent

We have our long term disability insurance with Unum and they provide a EAP program free. We are a small company and I would not provide an EAP unless it was free.

djacobs475

Tallent,
Thanks for the idea. I am checking into our providers of LTD and Life Insurance to see if they indeed provide such a service, and what its cost might be. It would certainly be great if it were free. CNA is our provider of LTD and Life Insurance - but we are a small company - ony 43 ees.

Thanks again for the suggestion.

sonny

Try a search on EAP, there have been some other good discussions including price. I would have to disagree with Tallent. .I am a big supporter of EAP's and feel they are worth the money. Employees feel valued and a few sessions can help an employee, hence they are coming to work more productive and focused on work rather than whatever problem sent them there in the first place.

LindaS

I agree with Sonny - I feel EAPs are a wonderful tool to assist not only employees but management as well. We contract with a local company who provides not only counseling for employees but does assessment testing of applicants, training on various subjects for employees and assists with personnel issues. I have found it to be a very valuable tool.

POPEYE

Something that you may want to explore, the only cost will be your time, is contacting individual physicians / counselors / facilities in your area and determine which ones will accept your insurance coverage. Then when you have an EE with a need, you will have a panel of providers to offer them.

Neferlaw

We have United Healthcare for our medical/dental and they offer a free EAP for our employees.

djacobs475

Neferlaw,

After seeing your suggestion, I did check with our medical provider Humana and they do not have such a program.
Thanks again.

Hunter1

We use our EAP as a mandatory gatekeeper for mental health, drug and alcohol benefits under our health plan. If you don't go through the EAP for a referral, there are no benefits. It really pays for itself because employees get referred to the right source of help rather than looking in the Yellow Pages and the EAP provider monitors the treatment. This is in addition to the benefits other posters have mentioned.

Don D

We pay on a quarterly basis and it's only 50cents per employee per month, so it's minimal. We just had an EAP therapist here for one hour presentations to 8 groups, which over time involved all employees. This is of course free and they come quarterly to provide info on a certain topic, like: workplace violence, addictions, stress, domestic violence, parenting issues, etc. I have always thought (and found) EAPs to be very good investments and one of the best things we could make available to our employees. I am sure that the EAP has an ultimate goal of making money which means eventually tapping our insurance program after a series of 'free' consultations. But, so be it. I would rather have a 'treated' productive employee using insurance than an untreated, miserable or ill employee who is not going to be as productive, eventually using more insurance.

djacobs475

Don D,

Thanks for your input. I too see this as very valuable.
Would you mind sharing the name of your EAP provider?
If their cost is in line with yours (which I doubt as we are such a small group), perhaps they can tailor a program to our needs too.

Thanks again.

Don D

Ours is a local area Catholic owned hospital. EAPS sometimes are national chain organizations but I've found more often they are just community based organizations - insurance companies, hospitals, for-profit firms, etc. St. Dominic Hospital is the name of ours. They also have a behavioral health wing which caters to addictions and other psychiatric disorders. It would be naive of me to not think that wing is where a majority of the more serious EAP users are going to be served, eventually. Many won't be, but I would say a majority are. And it's a very valuable opportunity for any employee or family member who needs it. I might myself one day and am glad it's there if I do. In fact I may be just a phone call away.