Your Optum EAP Covers Therapy – Here's How to Use It

If you have an Optum EAP through your employer, you have access to mental health support that you’re probably not using. Optum's Live and Work Well Employee Assistance Program offers a series of covered therapy sessions with no copay or coinsurance — in other words, it’s free.

You can use these benefits to get support for a host of issues, including stress, anxiety, grief, burnout, parenting challenges, and relationship challenges you’re dealing with at home or at work.

The tricky part is knowing how to access your Optum EAP benefits. This post explains what an Optum EAP is, how to get your authorization code (required to book free therapy sessions), and how to find and schedule a therapist.

Once you have the process down, you can use your EAP therapy benefits for multiple issues throughout the year, all at no cost to you.

What is the Optum EAP and what benefits do you get?

Optum’s Live and Work Well EAP is a health and wellness program that your employer pays for or “sponsors.” If you have access to the Emotional Wellbeing Solutions program by Optum, that’s the premium version of the same program.

EAPs offer what is essentially free therapy and are designed to provide fast, easy support so that personal challenges don’t reach the point where they force you to miss work or take a leave of absence.

The Optum EAP covers all of the following types of therapy:

• Psychotherapy lasting 30 or 45 minutes
• Family / relationship therapy with or without you present
• Group therapy with individuals focused on the same issue

Your employer determines the specific number of sessions you receive. Most Optum EAP benefits provide between 3-10 free counseling sessions per presenting issue per year. There is typically no limit to the number of issues you can get care for over the span of a year, though you can only use EAP therapy benefits for one issue at a time.

Optum health EAP extends beyond just therapy sessions. The program also offers financial and legal consultations, work-life services for child care and elder care support, and digital self-care resources, for example access to the Calm app.

How to get your authorization code for EAP therapy

Authorization codes are required for all Optum EAP services and must be obtained before your first appointment. Providers cannot submit claims for your free sessions without this code.

You have two ways to request your authorization code:

1. Call Optum’s Toll-Free EAP phone number

• Contact your company’s HR team and ask for the Optum EAP phone number (it’s specific to your company).
• Call the number and connect with a representative.
• Provide your information and request three things, which can be sent to you via email or U.S. mail:
  • Your authorization code
  • Benefit effective dates (how long the code is valid)
  • The number of sessions you’re eligible for

2. Request your code online through Live and Work Well.

• Register on the site by entering your information and selecting your employer from the dropdown menu.
• Enter in the required information and use the menus to filter through to the services you’re interested in.
• After requesting therapy services, you’ll receive an email with your authorization code.
• The email will also include “benefit effective dates,” which is the window of time in which you need to get care and the number of approved sessions under your plan.

Note that you only need this information to get started. Once you share it with your provider, they can apply it to all sessions for that particular issue.

How to find Optum EAP providers

Once you have your authorization code, log in at Live and Work Well to search for providers. You may be presented with more than one way to connect with a therapist.

If you see Alma as an option, that’s a good sign — therapists available through Alma provide the gold standard of 1:1 in-person or virtual care, unlike some other platforms that only offer text/phone therapy and short sessions (30-minutes).

The Alma platform offers filtering options that help you find the right therapist for your needs. You can filter your provider search by:

• Virtual or in-person visits or a mix of the two
• Specialties, such as trauma, couples therapy, or ADHD
• Modalities, such as CBT or somatic therapy
• Language to ensure you can communicate clearly
• Gender, ethnicity, or religion of your therapist

When you find a therapist who seems like a good fit, you can schedule with them directly. Providers on the Alma platform offer a brief consultation so you can ask questions and get to know them before committing. This is an important step — taking time to ensure a good match now will lead to better results down the line.

If something is bothering you, don’t wait to get help

Optum’s EAP provides you with mental health support at no cost, and there’s zero downside to taking advantage of these benefits. The process is simple and confidential: get your authorization code and search for a therapist through the provided directory link.

Even a few sessions with a therapist are likely to help you feel more aware and in control of your situation. Don’t wait to take advantage of this cost-free care.

Don’t have access to an Optum EAP but want to start therapy? Find a therapist who takes your insurance through Alma today.