Americans face tough times, including increasing health care costs and increasing prevalence of mental health challenges. Many are seeking support from their employers.
That’s why during a Wednesday panel at the Chicago Midwest Health Conference, four employers shared the strategies they implemented to help them help their employees financially and mentally.
For example, construction company Caterpillar began direct contracts with pharmacies, manufacturers, hospitals and providers a few years ago to reduce costs, to reduce costs. Additionally, it seeks to encourage employees to seek care at higher quality, low-cost providers and share savings with employees.
“If Hospital A has a $50,000 program and the same program is $40,000 Hospital B and the quality is higher, we will share savings with employees, based on what the program is, up to $1,500.”
In terms of mental health, Caterpillar also has a team of clinical psychologists and a counselor team working with company leaders and employees. The company also eliminated some cost barriers, so there was no pocket money on the first 16 visits.
The aerospace company’s Boeing company began providing employees with a virtual support group for mental health provider Spring Health. These support groups focus on improving sleep, dealing with current affairs, parenting teenagers and more.
[Employees] Get some expert guidance. But I think more important is that they realize they are not alone,” Sherman said.Another company, Sargento Cheese, added a mental health provider to its on-site health and wellness center last June, said Sherri Samuels-Furest, vice president of the company. The provider travels to all locations of the company and sees employees and their families before the age of 26. This benefit can be used by anyone in Sargento, whether they have a Sargento medical plan or not.
Samuels-Furest said last fall, Sarkinto also converted its Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providers into a more “holistic EAP and mental health app”. Through the app, employees can get support for sleep, meditation, anxiety, stress and depression.
“Owning the app, we’ve discovered things like people aren’t safe at home, and that shocked us,” she said. “These things are eye-opening.”
It is important to promote this support, she added, because employees “have to forget it until they need it.”
Carole Mendoza, former vice president of welfare at Voya Financial, pointed out the importance of employees’ access to welfare leaders.
“Whatever your reaction to the election, to the inauguration, other things that are happening, your people … are going through all these things, too. So, petitioning is willing to accept these feedback because maybe people can’t get to the best of what’s happening.”
Photo: Nataliia Nesterenko, Getty Images
