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Cost of employee assistance programs: Comparison of national estimates from 1993 and 1995

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Abstract

The cost and financing of mental health services is gaining increasing importance with the spread of managed care and cost-cutting measures throughout the health care system. The delivery of mental health services through structured employee assistance programs (EAPs) could be undermined by revised health insurance contracts and cutbacks in employer-provided benefits at the workplace. This study uses two recently completed national surveys of EAPs to estimate the costs of providing EAP services during 1993 and 1995. EAP costs are determined by program type, worksite size, industry, and region. In addition, information on program services is reported to determine the most common types and categories of services and whether service delivery changes have occurred between 1993 and 1995. The results of this study will be useful to EAP managers, mental health administrators, and mental health services researchers who are interested in the delivery and costs of EAP services.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami, 1400 NW 10th Avenue, Room 1105, 33136, Miami, FL

    Michael T. French Ph.D. (Research Associate Professor)

  2. Health and Human Resources Program at the Research Triangle Institute, USA

    Gary A. Zarkin Ph.D. (a senior health economist and director)

  3. the Research Triangle Institute, USA

    Jeremy W. Bray M.A. (a research economist) & Tyler D. Hartwell Ph.D. (a senior statistician)

Authors
  1. Michael T. French Ph.D.
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  2. Gary A. Zarkin Ph.D.
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  3. Jeremy W. Bray M.A.
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  4. Tyler D. Hartwell Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael T. French Ph.D..

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French, M.T., Zarkin, G.A., Bray, J.W. et al. Cost of employee assistance programs: Comparison of national estimates from 1993 and 1995. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 26, 95–103 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287797

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287797

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