If your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), you may be able to use those benefits to cover therapy sessions through Grow Therapy at no cost to you. This article explains which EAPs Grow Therapy accepts, what information you'll need before booking, how to enter your EAP details, and what to do when your EAP sessions are exhausted.
Key Points
Grow Therapy accepts EAPs from Cigna, Evernorth, United Health/Optum, and Amazon. For most EAPs, you can filter the Grow Therapy provider directory by plan to find an eligible provider. Amazon EAP clients use a dedicated booking page.
Before your first session, gather your EAP authorization letter — it contains your sponsor name, authorization code, effective and expiration dates, and number of authorized visits.
EAP information must be entered during the booking process. It cannot be applied to sessions that have already been completed and charged.
After your EAP sessions are used up, you can continue care using your regular insurance or cash pay.
Overview
What is an EAP?
An EAP is a health and wellness service paid for by an employer. It typically provides assessment, referral, and limited counseling sessions for members and their families.
Which EAPs does Grow Therapy accept?
Grow Therapy accepts EAPs from:
Amazon
Cigna
Evernorth
United Healthcare/Optum
For most EAPs, use the Insurance dropdown on the Grow Therapy provider directory to filter by your EAP plan and find an eligible provider.
🌟 Note: If you have Amazon EAP benefits, use the Amazon benefits booking page instead of the standard provider directory.
What to gather before you book
Before using your EAP benefits, contact your EAP administrator to obtain the following information. You'll need it during the booking process, and billing support may also ask for it if you need to verify your benefits later.
EAP authorization letter: The document your employer or EAP administrator provides confirming your benefits. It contains all of the details below and is required if billing support needs to verify your coverage.
Sponsor name: The name of the company, union, or group providing the benefit (not the name of the EAP company).
EAP provider: The company managing your EAP benefits (e.g., Cigna, Optum).
Authorization code: The unique code that applies EAP benefits to your sessions.
Effective date: The date your EAP eligibility begins.
Expiration date: The date your EAP eligibility ends.
Number of authorized visits: The total sessions covered under your authorization.
How to enter your EAP information when booking
Your EAP details are entered during the appointment booking process. In the insurance section of the booking flow:
In the Insurance name dropdown, select your EAP. If you filtered by EAP plan in the provider directory, it may auto-populate here.
Under Member ID, enter the insurance member ID associated with your EAP benefits.
In the EAP Auth Code field, enter your authorization code.
In the EAP Number of Visits field, enter the number of sessions your authorization code covers.
⚠️ Important: EAP information must be entered before your first session. Grow Therapy cannot refund a session and recharge it to an EAP after the fact. If your EAP information wasn't entered at booking, your EAP benefits will only apply to future sessions.
🌟 Plan-specific notes:
United Healthcare/Optum EAP benefit holders: You'll need to input an active UHC/Optum member ID with mental health benefits.
Cigna EAP benefit holders: Input your Cigna member ID. If you don't have a Cigna member ID, Grow Therapy can still bill your EAP. Please put your authorization code in this field.
Why am I required to provide payment information? A payment method is required to cover late-cancellation or missed-appointment fees, as your EAP or insurance does not cover them. This article reviews how to manage your billing and payment information in your client portal.
Can I use my EAP benefit for multiple providers at once? No. EAP benefits can only apply to sessions with one provider at a time. If you'd like to switch providers, please contact support to ensure your benefits can still be applied.
What happens when your EAP sessions run out
After all your authorized EAP sessions are used, how your care continues depends on whether the same company provides both your EAP and your regular health insurance.
No additional insurance coverage — you can continue seeing your provider at their cash pay rate.
Same company for EAP and insurance (e.g., Optum EAP and Optum health insurance) — your health insurance will automatically take over billing after your EAP is exhausted. You'll be charged your regular patient responsibility under your insurance plan.
Different companies for EAP and insurance (e.g., Optum EAP and Aetna health insurance) — you'll need to update your insurance information in your client portal once your EAP sessions are used up. You can contact your EAP administrator at any time to check your remaining session count.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to provide payment information if my EAP covers sessions? A payment method on file is required to cover late-cancellation or missed-appointment fees. These fees may not be covered by your EAP or insurance. You can manage your billing and payment information in your client portal.
My EAP information was entered during booking, but my account is showing a copay. What should I do? This can happen when EAP information wasn't applied correctly during the booking flow. Because EAP benefits can't be updated self-service after booking, you'll need to contact billing support to have this corrected. Reach out to our support team and have your EAP authorization letter ready — billing will need it to verify and update your coverage.
What if my EAP authorization code has been renewed or updated? If you've received a new authorization code for a new benefit period, contact our support team with your updated authorization letter so billing can apply the new benefits to your account.
How do I check how many EAP sessions I have left? Grow Therapy doesn't track your EAP session count independently — contact your EAP administrator directly to confirm your remaining authorized visits.