Voluntary benefits

In recent years, voluntary benefits have risen from a nice-to-have for employees to something that is quickly becoming crucial. Doug Mantz looks back at the evolution of voluntary benefits through the lens of one long-time client.

“Now is the time to buy before gender rating kicks in and before the best inflation option [5%, compounded for life] becomes unaffordable or goes away,” says one expert.

The emerging private HIX model for active employee populations will learn valuable lessons about how this approach has been applied to the retiree marketplace in recent years. One issue worth closer examination involves the prospect of hosting an off-cycle benefits enrollment.

A brokers’ role with end of life products is to know their clients and give them choices.

Craig Davidson on three good reasons to think about selling voluntary.

In 2025, three in four working Americans will be Millennials. By helping them manage stress and anxiety in their 20s and 30s with EAPs, they’ll be more productive and better-equipped to assume leadership positions down the road.

Get ready for tip off. Sun Life Financial is set to offer brokers a new place to take employer clients and employees — the NBA basketball court.

2013 is seen as a year of growth in voluntary long-term care, LTC, Prudential, Unum.

Transitions Optical survey reveals only 16% of employees say they receive education from their employer about eye health.

Women and younger workers are particularly likely to favor customizable voluntary benefits, according to a TNS Omnibus survey.

Critical illness insurance covers more diseases than in the past and is increasingly marketed as a financial protection product.

MetLife polled hundreds of human resource and benefits professionals about legal services in a voluntary package, and the top reason given among those who make the offering is improving employee satisfaction (69%).

Mercer is one of the latest companies to enter the private exchange game, and the consulting giant gave employers an opportunity to check out the service during a conference call Thursday. Company executives revealed some of those specifics during the call, especially during the Q&A period for the audience.

Among the noninsurance products available to help employee stress are education programs and credit counseling.

There’s no end in sight to rise of voluntary critical illness insurance benefits.

After a year of significant change in the LTC industry in 2012 Blogger Tom Riske Jr. seems 2013 as a year of growth in LTC sales through the worksite. He shares some key features an employer and adviser should look for when considering one of the newer multi-life LTC offerings.

The Hartford Group says its most recent survey indicates that more than 80% of workers would sign up for personalized voluntary disability coverage, given the option. The Hartford says it has a new offering to meet just that need.

Workplace difficulties faced by the hearing impaired highlight the need for corresponding benefit coverage

With PPACA implementation in full swing, NAHU, NAIFA, IIABA, CIAB talk exclusively with EBA on 2012 and looking toward 2013.

Workplace difficulties faced by the hearing impaired highlight the need for corresponding benefit coverage