Access expanded for Anthem Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

From: Hokie Wellness

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by Anthem is now available to all Commonwealth of Virginia employees and their household members or dependents, if they are not already enrolled in the state’s Anthem (COVA Care and COVA HDHP) or other insurance plans. This includes all Virginia Tech full- and part-time faculty, staff, and non-student wage employees. 

EAP services for all state-provided health insurance plans include free mental health counseling (up to 4 sessions) with 24/7 available support, legal resources, financial planning, and much more. If you are taking advantage of Anthem’s EAP, whether online or by phone, use COVA (Commonwealth of Virginia) when asked for a company name or access code. 

To access Anthem EAP services online:

Go to the website at www.anthemeap.com/cova

• Select “sign up” at the top right corner. On mobile devices, click the hamburger menu at the top right then “sign up.”
• Fill out personal details; skip the question that asks for the “First 3 characters of your member ID” if you do not have an Anthem insurance plan.
• Select your insurance under the Health Insurance Carrier tab or “No insurance” if you are not enrolled in a state-provided health plan.
• After you complete the registration, you will be sent an email with a code to verify your account.
• Log back in to Anthem’s site. You may be given the opportunity to complete a well-being questionnaire, which you can skip if you choose by selecting “reminded later.”
• Your MRN (member reference number) will appear in the top right corner. This is the number you will use to access EAP resources.
• You can now choose the EAP resource that you need: Find a Counselor, Financial Planning, Legal Resources, etc.

If you prefer to contact Anthem EAP by phone, call 1-855-223-9277.

EAP access for other state-provided health insurance plans

If you are enrolled in one of the other state-provided health insurance plans, you have access to EAP services through that plan. Use COVA for the company name or access code:

• Aetna (COVA Health Aware): 1-888-238-6232
• Kaiser Permanente (HMO): 1-866-517-7042
• Sentara (HMO): 1-800-899-8174

To read more about EAP services, visit hr.vt.edu/eap or choose your EAP provider above. 

Reminder about other mental health resources

TimelyCare provides free mental counseling (12 sessions), health coaching, TalkNow (24/7), and access to online self-care content. 

Employee Support Groups are available through the Psychological Services Center. Both current groups, Grief and Loss, and Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence, meet biweekly at no cost. 

Navigating employee resources can be challenging, and Hokie Wellness is here to help. For help accessing EAP, TimelyCare, Employee Support Groups, community services, or simply seeking help determining the right resources, reach out to Hokie Wellness at hokiewellness@vt.edu or 540-231-8878.