By John Thornton
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING, AMALGAMATED LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
The employee/member benefit landscape has changed over the past decade with the pandemic driving behavioral changes in how employers, fund administrators, benefit advisors, and employees/members view benefits. In fact, according to a BenefitsPRO/Eastbridge Consulting Group survey of voluntary benefits producers, 43% of them noted that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to push people towards new solutions that provide financial protection. Other drivers of voluntary benefits growth have been changing workforce demographics, continuously rising healthcare costs and looming economic concerns. For benefit advisors, new market dynamics demand an enhanced advisory role backed by digital support tools to capture the growing opportunities voluntary benefits present.