Key Elements of the Employee Assistance Program - Term Paper Example

of the of the Submitted Proposal Introduction Any modern organization worth its cannot afford to neglect one of its most important assets, namely the employees that form part of its workforce, carry out the day to day activities and work to achieve the enterprise goals. Modern enterprises having a global outlook with adoption of best practices are always concerned with improving the work-life balance and overall health and well-being of all their employees. A good and healthy employee is efficient and effective and adds productivity to the workplace. Need for Healthcare Coverage Congratulations on the adoption of a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program for your organization. Employee Assistance Programs are quite popular and are the need of the hour, as the cost of medical coverage is becoming increasingly out of reach for the majority of Americans- especially among the middle class, the poorer classes and the homeless sections of society. Many of us have been the victims of the last financial crisis, losing homes, cars, jobs and even the chance to lead a proper lifestyle. All in all, the need for proper and complete healthcare coverage cannot be denied in today’s workplace. Healthy employees are the boon of any workplace; they can function at the peak of their performance and make a great difference to productivity and the bottom line. At the other end of the spectrum, how many of us have been affected by bouts of ill health that keep us from performing at our best on any given workday. Even the common cold or a nagging headache or worst of all an excruciating toothache or earache can make us take the day off and stay at home in pain and discomfort. So clearly, healthcare coverage has many benefits not only for the employees but also for the organization. Key Elements of the Employee Assistance Program It is worthwhile to remember a fundamental truth: an employee can only be said to be functioning at his full capacity if he is in sound health physically, mentally and psychologically. The stress of modern city and corporate life has undoubtedly left its mark on us all, and the pressure of working in a corporate setup often complicates matters especially if there is a lot of competition. Employees have been known to do everything from an excess of apple polishing to working beyond normal limits to gain the support of their bosses. Unfortunately some even take drugs and opiates to enhance productivity, which is unethical and can have disastrous consequences for the health of these employees, as well as the reputation of the organization in the long run. Consider what can happen if a disgruntled employee decided to get trigger happy in the office to vent out his anger of not being promoted, or being overlooked in terms of certain perks. This would amount to a public relations disaster and must be avoided. Knowing this, Aetna Insurance has provided for rehabilitation and care in the event of even such an instance of drug abuse. Sometimes drug taking for recreational use can turn into an addiction like smoking and alcoholism. Drug taking has even ruined the careers of such celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Robert Downey Jr. So let Aetna help you to avoid any drug related mishap or control its repercussions by virtue of access to our 24 hour clinics that have been established in every major American city as well as our online support facility that never stops, any time of the day or night. History of the Company Aetna Insurance Company has been providing healthcare to Americans like you and me for over 150 years and running. The company was started way back in 1853 in Hartford, Connecticut (www.aetna.com) and is today one of the nation's leading providers of health care including pharmacy, dental, disability insurance, group life and employee benefits. The company has a variety of plans and programs to fit your pocket and specific coverage needs. There are also a variety of plans for small, medium and large scale organizations with differing levels of coverage, so there is bound to be a plan that is just right for your needs. If you are not convinced, or have specialized or unique needs, contact our office or service representatives on any working day and see what we can do for you. Why We Are Better Than the Others Aetna- our name and our experience says it all. After all, we have been in business for more than 150 years and our contributions to the health and well being of Americans is well known and well documented. What is more, with our wide coverage and database of known ailments, we have some of the most experienced evaluators who can give you the best rates depending on the type of coverage required as well as the age and profile of your workforce. While many of us erroneously think that getting insurance is expensive and a needless added expense, a little reflection can show that it pays dividends in terms of continued good health and productivity. Studies have shown that employees consistently rate the place they work for as among the best if their work-life balance and personal needs are looked after properly and this includes healthcare as well. With the high cost of Medicare and the failure of Government programs to provide adequate coverage, more and more people are either without any coverage or are increasingly dependent on their employer for any type of coverage, if at all. The increasing population, the growing indebtedness of America and the lack of proper diet and care are adding to the cost of medical care every day. The least a good employer can do is to provide the minimum, or an adequate degree of coverage for most common conditions, so that the majority of employees are benefitted. Additional coverage can be taken for specific ailments by the employees themselves if they so desire. Our Expertise With a service record of over 150 years, Aetna Insurance is well equipped to handle the consequences of drug taking and rehabilitation by employees. In previous decades, it was not even considered a menace. But recent studies have shown that drugs are available to an increasing number of people, either through dealers or their cahoots in specific locales. Even OTC prescription drugs can be lethal or have disastrous effects in the hands of a trained pharmacist. Money is a great evil and can affect our morals. Even Michael Jackson died of a lethal combination of drugs, never mind his insomnia. We have teams of experts from doctors and nurses to EMTs who have the training, tools and knowhow to counter many of the effects of drug abuse and detection. Some of them have catered to celebrities and movie stars in the prime of their careers, allowing them to defeat this menace before it got the better of them. So relax, your employees will be in very good hands indeed. Dr. Anthony Mendoza and Dr. Joanna Ludwig are well known personalities in the field and currently supervise Aetna’s program. Why Group Coverage is Preferred Our experience has shown that it is far cheaper to get coverage if the number of people covered is increased under a group medical policy. Depending upon your age, previous medical history and hereditary factors, you may or may not need to undergo more than the preliminary test for blood, urine, stool, sugar and cholesterol, at the very least. Additional tests may be needed if an employee decides to insure against specific diseases, ailments or medical conditions. A good and comprehensive coverage program can even aid towards continuity of business and succession planning, in the event of any untimely or unfortunate event. Cost As always, the cost of including this aspect into an Employee Assistance Program far outweighs the benefits. The added benefit of our program is that it even covers the cost of dependent children between the ages of 13 and 19 years of age. Any employee faced with this problem can contact HR confidentially who will direct the case and the employee to our representative with a minimum of fuss. Just see the benefits of this equation: Cost of Ensuring One Employee: $ 1000 per year Cost of Treating One Addiction: $ 1500 per case (at at minimum) Thus there is a benefit of $500 even if one case of addiction is handled under the program. Conclusion We have made this offer to you after discussing the present coverage of your Employee Assistance Program, which does not cover this important but often neglected aspect. The terms of this offer stand open for another 15 days, after which they will lapse. You may never get such an opportunity again to avail professional services such as psychological counselling and substance abuse rehabilitation. So if you are interested, please contact our offices at (406)-AVOID-DRUGS at your earliest opportunity within the validity of this offer. We wish you and your organization a safe and healthful future. Works Cited About Us section of the Aetna Insurance website. Accessed on 12 July 2011 at http://www.aetna.com/about-aetna-insurance/index.html Read More