Corporate Counseling Associates Offers EAP "Gatekeeper" Services

CCA says its services can help employers contain costs while complying with the new law. The Wellstone-Domenici Parity Act requires group health plans for businesses with 50 or more employees to provide coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders that is no less restrictive than coverage for other medical conditions (see Regulators Pass Deadline for Guidance on Mental Health Parity).

According to a press release, placing CCA’s Employee Assistance Program at the entry point to the behavioral health benefit controls costs by:

• Eliminating redundancy between EAP counseling and short-term outpatient counseling delivered through the medical plan benefit;
• Resolving 65% of all EAP cases through consultations, short-term treatment, and Work/Life services;
• Providing accurate diagnosis, clinical consultations, short-term treatment, and treatment planning services with no deductible or co-pay to employees/families; and
• Managing clinical transitions across the continuum of care – outpatient, inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient.

“Our experience shows that EAPs reduce inappropriate and unnecessary visits to primary care and behavioral health care providers by resolving issues employees are struggling with—such as eldercare or childcare—and not just managing the symptoms caused by the problem,” said Bob Levy, president, Corporate Counseling Associates, in the announcement.

More information is at www.corporatecounseling.com .