Health Insurance Group news: talking therapies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 19, 2012 -- Welcome to our monthly health insurance industry news roundup from The Health Insurance Group. This month we’re taking a look at talking therapies, and how they can reduce workplace absence and its associated costs.
The UK health insurance industry includes a wide range of companies and there are many offers available with competitive terms. Our monthly news roundup aims to help you find out more about health insurance in general. If you have any questions or would like more information on private medical insurance, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Patients not receiving the right amount of therapy
A survey recently carried out by the Royal College of Psychiatrists – of people in therapy in England and Wales for anxiety and depression – found that 1 in 7 patients ‘waited more than three months for their first appointment’. Further, a 2011 investigation by Health Insurance magazine showed that among those awaiting person-centred therapy, 41% had to wait more than 3 months for counselling, while a quarter of those awaiting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) also had a wait upwards of 3 months.

On top of this, Health Insurance magazine points to data that strongly suggests some patients aren’t receiving the right amount of treatment in order to deal effectively with their respective conditions: 70% of ‘high intensity therapy’ patients weren’t getting the minimum amount of sessions as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
According to the Centre for mental Health, mental ill-health “accounts for a large proportion of sickness absence in the UK”, and approximately 20% of people suffer from mental health problems during their lifetime. The government’s ‘Improving Access to Psychological Services’ programme was set up in 2006 with the aim of reducing the number of sick notes and also encouraging more people to take up talking therapies.
How The Health Insurance Group can help

With the growing concern of talking therapies on the NHS not meeting NICE’s standards, employers will be looking for ways to demonstrate their duty of care towards their valued employees.

The Health Insurance Group can provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that not only delivers exceptional service and results, but also is the only Employee Assistance Programme to be fully endorsed by The Stress Management Society, the UK's leading not-for-profit Stress Management organisation.

The NICE guidelines stipulate that a minimum of 4 sessions must be offered for solution focussed therapy (Counselling) with advancement onto further CBT Therapy sessions. With The Health Insurance Group’s EAP offering 8 sessions – plus unlimited Ad Hoc Telephone Counselling – employees will always have support at hand.

The Health Insurance Group’s EAP is provided by Health Assured, an independent external organisation. The EAP offers cover for the employee and their immediate family members who reside at the same address, including children in full-time education. The service provides access to:

• Stress helpline
• Structured telephone counselling
• Referral to face to face counselling
• Tax advice
• Legal advice (the EAP will not provide employment law advice)
• Eldercare
• Childcare
• Medical information
• Emotional support

• Fitness advice (including video demonstrations)
• Personal coaching tool
• Health assessment

The hardships of today’s stressful world do not wait for convenience, which is why The Health Insurance Group EAP Support Line is always available: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The support line is answered by fully trained, qualified counsellors who will provide initial emotional support.

Iain McMillan of The Health Insurance Group comments: “Like all responsible employers, we recognise the duty of care we have in ensuring our staff are healthy and happy. It is a key requirement that we address any issues relating to this by providing qualitative and immediate support when required”.
McMillan also states that the EAP offered by The Health Insurance Group is “not only a solution we endorse and recommend to customers, but one we at The Health Insurance Group have in place to support our people 24/7”.

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