Sales and participation rates in voluntary supplemental medical plans rose again over the past year, and carriers' products continued to evolve to meet the needs of both employers and employees, according to several reports released this month by Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. in Avon, Connecticut.

The majority of the participating 18 carriers posted significant sales growth  in their hospital indemnity/supplemental medical product lines, and many showed double-digit increases, according to Eastbridge's 2017 Voluntary Hospital Indemnity and Supplemental Medical Products Spotlight.

Other key findings from the report include:

• Group platform products continue to be most prevalent and guaranteed issue underwriting remains the norm.

• Differentiators are abundant but a few commonly mentioned features include HSA compatibility, no pre-existing exclusion and integrated claims processing capabilities.

• Employer funding for hospital indemnity/supplemental medical is more common relative to many other voluntary products.

Eastbridge's 2017 Voluntary Participation Rates Spotlight provides a snapshot for carriers to compare their results to others in the industry. While not all participating carriers released their data, the report lists overall voluntary participation rates within the industry, and changes to voluntary participation rates in the last two to three years. Eastbridge details participation rates by group size, by product line and by enrollment methodology. The report also discusses enrollment strategy impacts on participation rates and strategies to improve participation.