BLOG

With all of the health issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, LIMRA research shows employees are placing greater importance on the benefits offered by their employers, and are more closely examining their benefit needs.

In 2020, LIMRA asked full-time employees with insurance benefits what changes they made to their benefits package during their 2020 open enrollment period. The results highlight the immediate short-term impact of the pandemic.

Healthcare costs have been on the rise over the past decade. In response, some employers have scaled back on their health insurance offerings, at times leaving gaps in coverage. As a result, the voluntary benefits market, where employees pay the premiums, has become more popular among employers.

These voluntary benefits programs, however, have underlying costs to employers, including those related to implementation and administration. Digital tools can help employers reduce these costs by simplifying operations and improving efficiency.

As the pandemic spread, images of nursing homes and assisted care facilities flooded the media. The sick and elderly were particularly vulnerable to this deadly virus and so many families were cut off from their parents and grandparents in the hopes of protecting them from exposure to COVID-19.

With this in mind, LIMRA surveyed more than 2,000 Americans to determine if the pandemic has shifted their thoughts about long-term care and insurance.

The general perception has been that the pandemic would radically increase employees’ appreciation of benefits and possibly increase their need for certain benefits, but how benefits may evolve based on these changes remains unclear.

With the pandemic shaking the country for more than 12 months now, employee benefits experts are trying to gain insights into which actions employees will take as a result of COVID-19 and whether carriers will see a positive impact on participation rates. The general perception has been that the pandemic would radically increase employees’ appreciation of benefits and possibly increase their need for certain benefits, but how benefits may evolve based on these changes remains unclear.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, unpaid caregivers struggled with the demands of work and saving for the future. The pandemic brought on additional work/life disruptions with stay-at-home orders, school closures, and reduced ability to outsource caregiving. The challenges also affect workers’ future retirement security since retirement income is often dependent on one’s ability to work and, through that work, accumulate savings.

A new Secure Retirement Institute^® (SRI^®) study, Staying the Course: Navigating Unpaid Caregiving Obstacles to Retirement Security, explored the impact of caregiving on workers’ retirement savings, as well as the actions and employer benefits that may help caregivers plan for a secure retirement.