Eastbridge research shows strong interest in voluntary benefits in large case market

Companies with 1,000 or more employees usually offer more comprehensive benefits packages than smaller firms, but employees at these large companies still express strong interest in buying additional coverage such as long-term care, critical illness and even nontraditional products such as identity theft protection, pet and auto/homeowners' insurance, according to recent Eastbridge Consulting Group research.

The "Voluntary Benefits in the Large Case Market" Spotlight™ Report shows more than a third of large company employees who don't already own long-term care or critical illness insurance are interested in buying it on a voluntary basis, with employees in the 1,000–2,499 case size showing the strongest interest. A third of large group employees also cite interest in buying identity theft protection.

The "Voluntary Benefits in the Large Case Market" Spotlight™ Report analyzes the opportunities and current results for selling voluntary benefits to employers with 1,000 or more employees. The report looks at products carrier sell in this market, large employers' criteria for products and carriers, differences in employee attitudes and ownership, and carrier practices for underwriting and enrollment.

"Large employers make up a tiny portion of companies in the U.S., but account for more than half of all employees," said Ginger Bates, Eastbridge research director. "Since most of these large employers offer voluntary benefits, they have a big impact on the industry, so it's critical for those doing business in this market to understand large employers' needs and preferences."

Other key findings in the report include:

• Online benefit administration is an extremely important factor in choosing a carrier for large employers. The larger the employer, the more likely it is to not select a carrier that doesn't offer online administration.
• Carriers tend to have more liberal underwriting guidelines for large cases, with higher guaranteed-issue amounts, higher benefit limits, lower or waived participation minimums, customized pricing and more flexible plan designs.
• Carriers typically offer multiple types of enrollments to their large case clients, but most large case enrollments are online self-service, often using a third-party platform the employer already uses for benefits administration.

For more information about the "Voluntary Benefits in the Large Case Market" Spotlight™ Report and how to obtain a copy, visit Eastbridge's website, email [email protected] or call (860) 676-9633.

About Eastbridge Consulting Group
Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. is a marketing advisory firm serving companies focused on the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada. Follow Eastbridge on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/eastbridge-consulting-group.