Let's consider accident coverage first. We all know the statistics: Every two seconds someone suffers from an accidental injury. However, what employees may not be aware of is the average cost of an accident. In 2013, the average cost was just over $1,300. And since major medical coverage is moving to higher deductibles and increased out-of-pocket expenses for employee plans, most of this $1,300 per accident will be the employee's responsibility.

There's also a common heading with cancer and critical illness coverage. Critical illness events are not uncommon, as most of us have had close friends or family members touched by cancer, heart disease, strokes, and so on. Those events are likely to trigger the full deductible and out-of-pocket coinsurance in a major medical plan, plus a great deal of additional family financial and emotional stress. These products help preserve savings, and can be a financial bridge during recovery. They help people afford the expense of surviving a critical illness. They help people preserve their savings, which is a big item for active, working people.

The benefits market is heading toward voluntary—and employees are heading toward traditional benefits such as life, disability and dental protection plus accident and specified disease coverage—products that protect them against common losses they cannot afford.