Latest Eastbridge study shows continued focus on wellness benefits in voluntary coverage

AVON, CONNECTICUT, USA (April 22, 2025)

Supplemental health products are most likely to include wellness benefits

Virtually all voluntary carriers offer a wellness benefit with at least one of their products, almost always as an optional benefit rather than embedded into their products, according to a new study from Eastbridge Consulting Group. Eastbridge’s Voluntary Wellness Benefits Frontline™ Report shows accident, critical illness or hospital indemnity plans are the most likely to include a wellness benefit.

“Carriers are expanding the wellness tests they cover with new screenings and preventive exams, and many take extra steps to encourage employees to take advantage of them,” said Ginger Bates, Eastbridge director of research. “About half of carriers continue to promote these benefits even after the enrollment with customizable communication campaigns.”

The Voluntary Wellness Benefits Frontline™ Report identifies and benchmarks the wellness benefits carriers offer with voluntary products and the trends for wellness benefits in the voluntary/worksite market. It includes data collected in January and February 2025 from 41 carriers providing 42 responses. Carriers can use this information to compare their offerings to competitors active in the market and evaluate opportunities to become more successful.

Other key findings in the report include:

• Employee use of wellness benefits varies widely, but averages 20% for carriers that track this information.
• Very few carriers require waiting periods or require insureds to incur a charge before paying wellness benefit claims.
• All carriers that track loss ratios for their wellness benefits say they are as expected or lower than expected. None say they are higher than expected.