MetLife has launched directed clinical pathways for its group income protection schemes, where the insurer will be choosing which provider customers can use for treatment for some of the most commonly claimed conditions.
The pathways will apply for long Covid, mental health and musculoskeletal (MSK) cases which the insurer said aimed to minimise employee absence duration.
In a statement, the insurer told Health & Protection: “Dependent on the customer’s individual needs, MetLife would decide the most appropriate provider on behalf of the customer.”
MetLife said different providers were available that have different specialisms. Health & Protection asked the insurer what its criteria for choosing providers were.
It said the pathways would also help employers and employees understand the options available to them and provide tailored return to work support alongside early intervention case managers, access to necessary treatment, employee assistance programme (EAP) and wellbeing resources and training.
MetLife said the long Covid pathway helps employees manage their symptoms and begins the process of returning to work after a period of the illness. It also provides access to functional assessment resources and wellbeing partners for businesses to lean on whenever they may need to.
The insurer said its cases for long Covid had risen by 250% from Q2 2021 to Q3 2021, but has not supplied the number of cases when asked by Health & Protection.
The MSK pathway offers support from early intervention to the reporting of symptoms through to rehabilitation.
The mental health pathway provides employees with the support they need to help manage illness, gain access to treatment and safely begin the process of returning to work.
It also provides employees with links to local support networks, the insurer added.
Focus on mental health, Covid and MSK
Adrian Matthews, employee benefits director at MetLife, (pictured) said: “Now more than ever there’s a focus on mental health, MSK and long Covid, which is why it was a priority for us to launch our new clinical pathways to support those who need it.
“Our health is rightly one of our biggest priorities. If you’re struggling following an accident or illness, you may be left unable to work which could impact both your overall wellbeing and financial position, but also the business output for your employer.
“Employers have a key role to play in providing employees with access to early intervention and preventative support services as well as support with any hospital and rehabilitation treatment to aid their return to work in a way that is empathetic and helps all parties to be clear on the way forward together.”
Matthews added that previous research by the insurer found more than a third (34%) of employees admitted they had to take four weeks or more off work due to having an accident, falling sick or to care for a loved one.
“A significant period of leave like this can be detrimental to employees’ financial and mental wellbeing and can make the return to work feel even harder,” he continued
“Through providing access to services of this kind, employers can be safe in the knowledge that they are doing all they can to look out for their employees’ mental and physical health, even at times when they can’t look out for themselves.”