Nearly half of U.S. employers reported an increase in their workers' use of employee assistance programs (Staying@Work, Watson Wyatt, 2009). While this trend is expected to continue, employers that understand the link between behavioral health, personal wellness and organizational productivity will look to integrate their EAP with the other components of their population health management strategy.

To that end, there are a number of key trends that will drive this integration:

EAPs with an MH/SA (Mental Health and Substance Abuse) Gatekeeper component will be used to combat rising health care costs stemming from the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA).

The majority of U.S. employers will need (or have needed) to increase the mental health and substance abuse coverage in their existing benefit plans in order to comply with the MHPAEA. For many employers, this increase in the depth of their coverage will lead to a corresponding increase in their medical spend.

No benefit is better prepared to offset the financial impact of this legislation than an EAP with an MH/SA Gatekeeper component. When appropriate, most cases that require short-term counseling are redirected into the EAP at the point of entry, while members with acute mental health or substance abuse needs are guided to the most appropriate level of care within the benefit plan - thereby optimizing patient care, increasing employee productivity and mitigating significant health care cost increases.

To combat the escalating costs of psychotropic drugs - which continue to rise faster than overall medical costs - EAPs will be integrated into an employer's pharmacy benefit.

In 2007, U.S. adults spent more money on antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs than any other drug category. According to Medco (2008), five in six users of psychotropic medications are under the care of a general practitioner. Unfortunately, most GPs are not adequately trained to practice behavioral health and are not qualified to recognize the dependency-related issues associated with antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs. An EAP-based pharmacy intervention program is designed to address this issue by working with the physician and the member to determine the best course of action and treatment plan based on the individual's condition.

EAPs will play a more active role in working with employees who file a disability claim.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2007), 20 percent to 40 percent of all disability claims have a co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis that contributes directly to the disability and increases the length of time the employee misses work. Unfortunately, in most cases, when an employee goes on disability leave, the mental or behavioral health component is often ignored. By addressing these behavioral issues throughout the duration of the individual's disability, the EAP has a direct impact on the length of the claim, the incidence of a repeat claim, the frequency of short-term claims becoming long-term claims, and the psychosocial condition of the member.

Employers will require more connectivity between their EAP and the other components of their population health management strategy.

Most experts believe that the majority of health care costs stem from problems caused by poor lifestyle choices. While employers are constantly refining their population health management strategy to address these behaviors, the one component that focuses most on behavior change (the EAP) has been historically left out of the conversation. Adopting an EAP-driven population health management initiative helps an organization achieve lower health care costs, disability expenses and worker's compensation costs, as well as the indirect benefits of decreased absenteeism, enhanced motivation and increased productivity.

Employers will be proactive in working to overcome the stigma surrounding an EAP program.

When an EAP has not been effectively marketed to employees, the benefit often has a negative stigma and is viewed as little more than a referral destination for employees with job performance or substance abuse issues. To position the EAP most effectively within the organization, that stigma must be overcome through a comprehensive communication and education strategy. Employers must understand that marketing the full scope of EAP benefits and promoting the preventive nature of the program reduces the stigma associated with the EAP. As employees begin to realize that the EAP is a confidential resource to help them address challenges in their lives, awareness and acceptance will increase, and utilization rates will rise accordingly.

Sean Fogarty is a senior vice president at CuraLinc Healthcare (www.curalinc.com). Based in suburban Chicago, CuraLinc is a national provider of employee assistance programs and corporate wellness programs. For additional insights, Fogarty can be reached directly at sfogarty@curalinc.com or 224-534-2901.

Instant Insights /

Five key trends for employee assistance programs in 2010

More From HR Executive

Related Stories

Recommended For You