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EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 2 Applications & Application Processing Page 17 If an EAP employee is a legal guardian or authorized representative on an EAP household’s application, that application must be marked and processed as an employee application. An EAP employee cannot perform any tasks in the processing of their own application or the application of an immediate family member. Service Providers must reduce conflicts of interest for employees by designing local processes to separate program benefit delivery duties. These local processes should separate application handling for: • Employees. • Subordinate relationships. • Family relationships and familial relationships that could be a conflict of interest. • A family relationship with vendor or contractor personnel or other partners. • Any other relationship that may be a conflict of interest. Service Providers may designate a staff person to handle all employee applications. Small Service Providers may need to have another EAP Service Provider process employee applications. Commerce must be informed if this option is chosen. Employee application handling process is monitored by Commerce. Service Providers must: 1. Enter all application information into eHEAT. The “Board member or employee?” box on the Application Information accordian in eHEAT MUST be checked. 2. Make the application complete. 3. Click the “Determine Eligibility” button. 4. Once the employee application is in the “Benefit Determined” status, Service Providers must submit the application for Commerce review and authorization. Copies of eligible and ineligible employee applications (recertification application, pre-printed, and regular applications), and supporting documents may be sent by secure email to eap.mail@state.mn.us. Commerce approves the employee’s eligibility within fourteen working days of receiving the application and all required documentation. Commerce will notify the Service Provider when an employee application is approved. Service Providers may check the application status history to confirm Commerce approval. After Commerce approves the application, the Service Provider may make payments payable. Commerce documents all employee applications submitted but does not keep a copy. All application activity begins and ends at the local Service Provider. Timelines must follow Commerce EAP guidelines.