Mental Health Benefits
When facing life’s challenges, employees often turn to family or friends for support. But often that’s not enough.
Sometimes they need a experienced mental health professionals and resources to help manage their mental health challenges.
Mental Health benefits can be accessed through the following benefit types:
- health insurance plan
- telehealth
- employee assistance program (EAP)
Health insurance plans vary in mental health coverage and depend on the plan type: copay or HSA. Some copay plans included outpatient mental health visits as copays before a deductible is met and others after the deductible. All HSA plans offer mental health coverage after the deductible is met, typically covering anywhere from 50-100% coninsurance depending on the plan.
Telehealth plans can offer mental health coverage through their virtual healthcare services platform where employees use their smartphones, tablets, or computers to access a network of mental health professionals. Access is typically 7-days per week and can be as low as $0 per mental health visit or counseling session.
An EAP, employee assistance program, provides access to resources to help them handle life’s everyday—and not so every day—challenges. Employees and their immediate families have access to free and confidential mental health services, as well as referrals to other support and community resources for a variety of issues including those listed below.
- Relationships, family, and parenting
- Legal/Financial
- Substance abuse and addictions
- Workplace violence
- Eldercare/Childcare
- Grief and loss
- Stress management
- Change and transition
Due to the low monthly premium costs of Telehealth and EAP, it is common that employers will offer or provide both options in addition to or separate from a group health insurance plan.