Group life and disability insurance plans frequently come with value-added services, offering employees and their families access to valuable professional resources. These services complement insurance coverage and provide guidance to help navigate challenging life events. Despite the significant value and support they offer, these programs are often overlooked or underutilized as they are typically automatically included with the insurance plans. Employers should carefully examine the value-added services associated with their group life and disability insurance plans to fully leverage the coverage, ensuring the best possible support and resources for their employees.
What types of services are available?
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
One of the more common value-added programs in today’s group life and disability market is an EAP. An EAP plan from ComPsych is included with Symetra’s group disability insurance plans and may be available upon request with our group life insurance plans as well.
An EAP can play a pivotal role in helping employees and their family members address personal challenges that could affect their workplace performance, relationships and overall well-being. From the employer's standpoint, these services can contribute to fostering a well-adjusted, present and healthier workforce. Additionally, an EAP may serve as a crucial tool for recruitment and employee retention. In today's competitive workforce, mental health resources, including EAPs, have become essential in attracting and retaining top talent.
It is also important to really delve into all that the EAP plan offers. Symetra’s EAP plan through ComPsych includes legal and financial support in addition to standard EAP counseling services. ComPsych's specialists provide expert guidance to help employees navigate financial challenges, promote emotional well-being and boost workplace productivity. Their in-house team, comprised of CPAs, CFPs and other qualified professionals, offers objective financial assistance. Employees looking for more extensive investment or financial planning expertise are referred to a financial professional in their local community using ComPsych’s extensive network. ComPsych also provides access to a full staff of legal experts who can be reached via unlimited phone consultations, local attorney referrals and other professional resources.
Travel assistance services
Travel assistance is another popular value-added service. Symetra's group life insurance includes access to Travel Assistance from On Call International, a top travel services provider. If an employee or covered family member faces a medical emergency during a covered trip, On Call's travel assistance services will arrange and provide necessary medical support, monitoring and evacuation. This includes medical transportation to their place of residence, if required, for follow-up care and recovery. The program also includes pre-trip support, emergency travel assistance, help with lost or stolen items and translation support.
Estate planning services
Estate planning services are sometimes included with group life insurance and are a valuable tool for financial planning. Symetra recently added EstateGuidance,® provided by ComPsych, to its group life insurance coverage. We believe that estate planning is important for all individuals at all stages of life, so we also include it with our group disability insurance as part of the EAP. EstateGuidance® is a simple, secure online service that helps eliminate the hassle and high costs associated with estate planning.
With EstateGuidance®, employees can create their last will and testament, living will and health care power of attorney form, a financial power of attorney form, and final arrangements to give surviving family members, friends and associates guidance regarding their last wishes. And because plans may change as individuals progress through different stages of life, these plans can be easily modified.
Value-added services really live up to their name. It’s important to make sure employees are aware of any programs they may have with their group benefit plans. Remind them to review what’s available so they can make the most of these services.
Be sure to read our Inside Track educational paper to learn more about value-added programs, and contact your group benefits representative for more information.
Travel Assistance, Identity Theft Assistance and Beneficiary Assistance programs are provided by On Call International. EstateGuidance® is provided by ComPsych. Symetra Support may not be available in all states. On Call and ComPsych are not affiliated with Symetra Life Insurance Company or any of its subsidiaries. EstateGuidance® is a registered trademark of ComPsych Corporation.
Symetra Life Insurance Company is the parent company of First Symetra National Life Insurance Company of New York (collectively, “Symetra”). Symetra Life Insurance Company does not solicit business in the state of New York and is not authorized to do so. Each company is responsible for its own financial obligations.
