Give your team faster access to virtual psychiatric care.

Through the Employer Sponsored Preventive Access (ESPA) Plan, employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents have access to virtual psychiatric care through the employee technology portal. Care is provided by board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners who can evaluate, diagnose, treat, and support a wide range of mental health concerns.

Obtaining an appointment with a psychiatric provider can often involve lengthy wait times.

The ESPA makes it easier for employees and their families to access professional psychiatric care through convenient virtual visits. Qualified expenses are reimbursable under the ESPA, with no insurance billing required, helping members receive the support they need without unnecessary barriers.

Why Psychiatric Care Is Often Difficult to Access

For many employees, the biggest challenge in receiving mental health care is simply getting an appointment. Across the United States, the wait for an initial psychiatric evaluation is often measured in weeks—or even months—rather than days. National surveys and federal data consistently show that access to psychiatric care remains one of the most significant barriers to treatment.

Typical wait times

Medication management with a psychiatric provider commonly takes 25 to 90 days to schedule, and longer in rural areas. (Merritt Hawkins physician appointment wait-time survey; Health Affairs research on specialist access.)

Talk therapy and counseling often run a two to six week wait, and in-network providers are frequently slower. (National Council for Mental Wellbeing; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration access data.)

One national survey put the average wait for a first mental health appointment at about 48 days, compared with about 20 days for primary care. (Merritt Hawkins.)

Why the wait happens

There Aren’t Enough Providers

The demand for mental health services continues to exceed the available supply of psychiatric and behavioral health professionals. More than 150 million Americans live in areas designated by the federal government as having a shortage of mental health providers.

Access Through Traditional Plans Is Often Limited

Even when care is available, employees may face additional delays due to limited provider networks, insurance restrictions, and prior authorization requirements. Finding an in-network provider who is accepting new patients can be a challenge in many communities.

Demand Continues to Grow

The need for mental health services has increased significantly in recent years, creating additional pressure on an already strained healthcare system and contributing to longer wait times for appointments.

Why It Matters

When employees are unable to access care promptly, concerns that may have been manageable early on can worsen before treatment begins. Delayed care can affect an employee’s well-being, productivity, attendance, and overall quality of life.

Over time, untreated or poorly managed behavioral health conditions may contribute to higher healthcare utilization and increased medical claims costs. Providing timely access to psychiatric care helps employees receive support sooner, improving outcomes while complementing the employer’s existing major medical plan.

What is virtual psychiatric care?

Virtual psychiatric care connects a person with a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner by phone, video, or app, without a long wait for an in-person appointment. It focuses on the clinical side of mental health: evaluating symptoms, developing a care plan, and managing medication when appropriate. Your employees may access it through the employee technology portal, for themselves and their families.

Who provides the care

The psychiatric practice behind the ESPA is led by board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners, supported by licensed clinical social workers and occupational therapists. A psychiatric nurse practitioner can evaluate symptoms, prescribe medication, and manage medication as part of a care plan.

What it is like for an employee to use

“I called in, and they determined I needed to speak with a psychiatric provider. I was able to schedule an appointment with a provider for the next day. It was that simple.”

HR Director, Manufacturing

Wait times vary by need and provider availability. The point of virtual access is to shorten the gap between an employee deciding to get help and actually being seen.

Access for the whole family

Psychiatric support extends to the enrolled employee, their spouse, and their dependents. Everyone in the household uses the same employee technology portal.

What this means for your major medical plan

Faster access helps your employee. It also changes the math on your major medical plan.

Mental health conditions are consistently among the largest drivers of total healthcare spend. (Milliman; National Alliance on Mental Illness.) When care is delayed for weeks or months, conditions that could have been managed early tend to escalate, which shows up later as higher claims and pressure at renewal.

The ESPA is built around early, preventive use. When your employees and their families can reach psychiatric care quickly, more issues get addressed before they become high-cost claims. Over time, that reduces dependency on the major medical plan and softens the claims pressure behind premium increases.

The financial mechanics sit underneath all of that. Qualified medical expenses are reimbursable under the ESPA, a Section 105(b) self-insured medical reimbursement plan, with no insurance billing and no change to employee take-home pay. The plan works alongside your existing major medical plan. The payroll tax savings the employer recovers typically exceed the cost of plan administration.

How it works

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take an employee to get a psychiatric appointment through the plan?

Traditional access can take weeks or months. Virtual psychiatric care is designed to shorten that wait. Exact timing depends on the member’s needs and provider availability, so the plan does not publish a guaranteed timeframe.

Who provides the psychiatric care?

The practice is led by board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners, supported by licensed clinical social workers and occupational therapists.

Can Employees Receive Medication Through Virtual Psychiatric Care?

Yes. When clinically appropriate, a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner can prescribe and manage medication as part of an individual’s treatment plan. Providers evaluate each person’s symptoms, medical history, and treatment goals to determine the most appropriate course of care.

Medication management may include initiating treatment, adjusting medications, monitoring progress, and providing ongoing follow-up to help ensure the treatment plan continues to meet the member’s needs.

Is psychiatric care available for employees' families?

Yes. It extends to the enrolled employee, their spouse, and their dependents.

Is This the Same as Counseling?

No. Virtual psychiatric care and counseling serve different roles in mental healthcare. Psychiatric care focuses on the clinical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental health conditions. It may include developing a treatment plan, prescribing medication when appropriate, and providing ongoing medication management. Counseling, on the other hand, is talk therapy that helps individuals address emotional, behavioral, relationship, and life challenges through regular conversations with a licensed therapist or counselor. Many people benefit from using both services together. The ESPA includes access to virtual counseling as well as virtual psychiatric care, allowing members to receive comprehensive mental health support based on their individual needs.

What does a visit cost the employee?

Qualified expenses are reimbursable under the ESPA, with no insurance billing, and employee take-home pay does not change.

Is this insurance?

No. The ESPA is not insurance. It is an employer-sponsored plan, and these services are reimbursable under the ESPA. Make Real Mental Health Support Easy for Your Team to Reach -Convenient access to virtual psychiatric care for employees and their families. -Available to the enrolled employee, spouse, and eligible dependents through the employee technology portal. -Faster access to licensed psychiatric providers without the long waits often associated with traditional appointments. -Works alongside your existing major medical plan and does not replace current coverage. -No change to employee take-home pay. -Most plans can be implemented within 30 days of enrollment. -Qualified expenses are reimbursable through the ESPA, with no insurance billing required. Provide your employees and their families with easier access to professional mental health support while strengthening your overall benefits package.

Make Real Mental Health Support Easy for Your Team to Reach

Convenient access to virtual psychiatric care for employees and their families.
Available to the enrolled employee, spouse, and eligible dependents through the employee technology portal.
Faster access to licensed psychiatric providers without the long waits often associated with traditional appointments.
Works alongside your existing major medical plan and does not replace current coverage.
No change to employee take-home pay.
Most plans can be implemented within 30 days of enrollment.
Qualified expenses are reimbursable through the ESPA, with no insurance billing required.

BizPower Benefits by BizPower360

Note: Tax benefits stem from the structure of the Self-Insured Medical Reimbursement Plan, which uses pre-tax funding. Employers benefit from reduced FICA taxes, while employees only realize tax advantages if they actively participate in the plan and earn the reimbursement after-tax. Without participation, any reimbursement becomes taxable, negating the financial benefit.