Employer Strategies

More than a third aren’t aware of available choices, yet more than half have been diagnosed with a chronic illness, according to Transamerica research.

The cases include complaints of unjust treatment based on pregnancy, motherhood, fatherhood, caring for family members who are sick or disabled and caring for ill or aging parents.

Employers and advisers should review group health plans to make appropriate changes in the event they are subject to these new provisions, says attorney Mary Bauman.

When employees change jobs and cash out their plan balance, they often do it over a period of years rather than all at once, according to Retirement Clearinghouse’s Spencer Williams.

If today’s client isn’t intrigued with what an adviser is sharing on sites like LinkedIn, there is no reason to believe that they’ll be interested in person, says Wendy Keneipp.

The methods for counting employees are as varied as the laws that affect them, often creating confusion and frustration for plan sponsors, says Compliancedashboard’s Dan Bond.

Features such as insurance portability may appeal to workers, but employers need to work hard to convince employees to go with a move away from group coverage, says Hixme’s Denny Weinberg.

And Daniel J. Lebish believes advisers are “more and more” ready to succeed in this next phase of the business.

About one in three Fortune 500 companies now offer the voluntary product, but demand is expanding because of rising veterinary costs and the close bond employees have with their pets.

The ranking, featuring dental, vision and voluntary benefit companies, is based on year-over-year revenue data compiled by analytics firm miEdge.