Sam Fleet

Despite changes to group benefits, many agents are wary of selling voluntary - here's why they should reconsider.

Bring relief to your business and add client value with a strategic partnership.

Whether it's a bar association, a teachers union, a club or professional society, affinity groups know that one of the best ways to attract and retain membership is to offer insurance to their members. Specifically, many are looking to add health care benefits to their growing lists of offerings. Providing access to an array of member benefits also provides an avenue for these groups to generate non-dues revenue - a key to thriving in tough economic times.

Unanswered questions and unknown repercussions abound as regulators continue to flesh out the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act framework. For employers, it is a frustrating time of uncertainty and confusion.

Self-funding used to be exclusively for big companies that had a solid cushion of assets, plenty of cash flow and a large employee population across which to spread risk.