Increasingly, I hear about the decline in interest by small business owners to offer their employees access to insurance solutions at the worksite. And if you peruse through insurance carrier news, they make statements about moving up market as well. 

Is the small market fading way? Are employers eliminating coverage? I think not. If you talk with business owners themselves, you quickly learn the needs are real, the market is vibrant and the opportunity is big. 

I think some of the noise stems from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which generally defines a small employer as having less than 50 employees (until it increases to 100 in 2016). Speculation among some is that employers will stop offering benefits and, for medical insurance, send their employees to public exchanges. There are a number of different theories.