Meet EBS Insurance Brokers adviser Josie Martinez, who combines her passion for law and benefits to combat COVID-19. Plus, learn how leaders in retirement, technology, voluntary, and wellness benefits managed through a historic crisis

In order to discern which health plans offer the best bang for member bucks, benefit advisers need to understand the economics of healthcare today.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, advisers continue to transition to new roles in the benefits space.

No matter how bleak things may look right now, you can still help your employees plot a path back to being financially well. Here are four steps to help restore your employees’ financial confidence.

COVID-19 has forced changes in work behavior as employees adjust to a new reality. Here’s how the Advisers of the Year did it during a year of massive disruption.

“The difference in our whole office, as far as how it looks at voluntary benefits, has totally taken a complete turn,” says Kathy Passantino, area senior vice president at Gallagher, of her colleague Dana Simms.

“I’m on track in saving for retirement because from a young age I learned these things,” says Adviser of the Year winner Julie Yusko. “I hope my experience can help others be in the best position so that we have fewer people who are approaching retirement age and wondering how they're ever going to retire.”

The expansion of digital care that incorporates continuous glucose monitoring along with proactive feedback from a coach and personalized resources can support people with diabetes.

Adviser Cameron Black “has an incredible sense of why he does what he does,” says Melissa Bondi, program director of community and corporate well-being at Bass Pro Shops. “That’s extremely powerful.”

Reviewing the plan options and programs that support your well-being can go a long way towards providing peace of mind during open enrollment.

There’s a great opportunity for HR professionals to better communicate with employees, at scale, regularly and easily during this year's open enrollment.

“New tools can help employees decide which plan is best for them, and where they can go to get the highest quality, lowest cost care for both procedures and prescriptions,” says Chelsey Koster.

HR is leaning on education in the hopes they can teach employees how to choose high-quality, low-cost healthcare on their own.

“She has this unique perspective, based on her legal background, her advisory background,” says Marah Funder, director of marketing at EBS. “She has always been the one to identify a need or a deficit before anyone else does.”

With rates likely to remain low, investors, and especially participants in sponsored 401(k) plans, need every dollar they can save to achieve their goals in retirement.

Every delayed preventative screening, test or check-up can result in a failure to discover a serious medical condition that requires treatment. That raises treatment costs down the line for both company health plan and employee.