The Role of Mental Health and the EAP in Resolving WC Claims

By Gary Anderberg, PhD

SVP Claim Analytics
Gallagher Bassett

Attitudes are changing about engaging with mental health issues that impact workers’ compensation (WC) claims.

Historically, WC adjusters were warned they were “buying a mental claim” if they acknowledged that depression or related issues were delaying a claimant’s return to work (RTW). Three new medical codes for psychiatric healthcare, introduced in 2018,1 are changing that. It is now possible to provide a short course of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or to refer the claimant into the employer’s employee assistance program (EAP) counseling service without creating an additional claim exposure for the WC program. You can use this opening to improve RTW and reduce disability durations.

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