Editor's note: As part of our ongoing mission to highlightindustry professionals who are making a difference, we asked sometop benefits professionals what they wish they had in theirportfolio of products. This is what they had tosay. 

Student loan programs

I've been keeping my eye on the student loan pay down platformsas a benefit. At a meeting in late 2015 with the head of benefitsat one of the largest financial firms in the U.S., it was pointedout to me and my team that one of the most important issues manycompanies will have to deal with in the coming years is the abilityto attract and retain millennials and other recent graduates. Theburden of student debt is often their biggest financial concern,ahead of daily expenses, retirement and health care.

Related: Student debt hits women harder thanmen 

Currently, these pay down contributions are taxed as income, somany are waiting for legislation to pass allowing them on atax-free basis. That said, tax-free legislation has recently beenintroduced, cosponsored by 38 Democrats and 29 Republicans, makingit a popular bipartisan solution to the student loan debt crisis.While present estimates of employer participation are roughly 4percent to 5 percent, that is expected to dramatically increase,should such legislation pass.

While many of these platform vendors currently operate on adirect-to-employer model, outside of broker distribution, this isstarting to change, and is something we plan to be heavily involvedin going forward.

Kevin Kennedy, benefits consultant, TriBen InsuranceSolutions, Inc.

Advocacy & transparency services

For years, employers have asked employees and their familymembers to step up and be true “consumers” of health care:researching cost and quality to get the best prices for theservices and supplies they need. Unfortunately, very fewindividuals even know where to start.

As our workforce becomes more virtual and remote, this will poseeven more of a challenge. Road warriors, employees located atnon-brick-and-mortar worksites (e.g., on pipelines or constructionsites) and employees working overnight shifts have less access tothe tools they need to do this type of research on their own—or theability to do this research during standard business hours.

Advocacy and transparency (A&T) services can help by doingthe research and leg work employees don't know how—or have thetime—to do. A&T services can help members find a network doctorthat fits their needs; get a good price on prescriptions, equipmentor medical services such as tests or even surgeries; coordinateappointments with multiple doctors and make sense of medicalbills.

With health care—and health care costs—an increasing source ofstress and drain on employee productivity, employers need toprovide tools and resources employees can use to gain control oftheir expenses. A&T services free up employees to focus ongetting their work done, and ultimately saves both the employee andthe employer money.

Kim Buckey, vice president of client services, DirectPath

Vendor expertise

From an HR perspective, I'm not necessarily missing products,I'm missing the consultative approach to products. Since I work ata small company, when I bring on a partner/vendor, I'd like accessto both their product and their expertise. I want to work withsomeone who knows best practices and understands the HRfunction.

There are, of course, some companies that do this well. However,it feels like too often, I'm being sold a product/service without agenuine concern for understanding what I need and what problems I'mtrying to solve.

Courtney (Griffin) Branson, head of HR, Square Root,Inc.

AI & wellness here to stay

Two general themes come to mind: 1) artificial intelligence, and2) total workplace wellness.

Artificial intelligence (AI): I picture benefitsadministration systems as the hub which creates a truly seamlessexperience for members. Once the benefits are loaded for a new planyear, benefit suggestions are provided based on the employee'sself-disclosed profile, payroll info and other data.

Related: The future of health benefitstechnologies 

Imagine the system being able to suggest benefits for employeesearning X dollars, with X kids, etc. How about if the loadedbenefits connect to the carrier networks, so when an employee asksabout finding a cardiologist, the system can offer suggestionsbased on outcome ratings, network status, etc.?

Consider the level of customized suggestions that could be madeto members if employee electronic health records or self-reportedmedical condition could be included. The possibilities are endless.AI is here to stay. I'm intrigued as to how the capability isultimately delivered in the health care market.

Total workplace wellness: This is not a passing fad.Work/life balance has become work/life integration. How theemployer contributes to this transition without overstressing theworkforce will be important. I'd like to see a third-party(unbiased) national health coaching network that offers services toemployers.

Something along the lines of a monthly PEPM fee in exchange forperiodic employer-offered health coaching seminars. Employees couldget discounted hourly fees for individual or small group coaching.With employer support and consistent messaging, employees can bemade aware of important lifestyle changes to help improve theiroverall mental and physical health. ROI wouldn't be immediate, butlonger-term improvements to the mental and physical health ofemployees certainly bring more than one type of return.

Dan Worthington, broker sales executive, freshbenies

Healthy living

There aren't currently many avenues from carriers, or mostbenefit brokers, that make top name brand wellness productsavailable, such as quality vitamins, protein, probiotics and otherhealthy supplements, or guidance on eating right, such as healthyrecipes, tips on grocery shopping and suggestions on how to makehealthy choices when eating out.

Many wellness programs I have seen stress increased activity andthe use of wearables, but don't complete the package on healthyeating, which is far more effective than activity alone. Therefore,a value proposition for completing the wellness package by offeringsupplements and including healthy eating protocols or serviceswould be a good way to develop an additional revenue stream.

Phil Muscarello, producer, Benefit Advisory Group,LLC

Pets & combo policies

I think there are needs for a variety of missing products,depending on the client. Amazingly, I probably get asked for grouppet insurance about once a month. I know this is available forsome, but not in the smaller group market. As a fur mommy myself, Iwould love to see this become more readily available.

Related: 10 ways to avoid pet insurance claims thissummer

For the human market, there is an individual product you can buyon the individual side that group doesn't have: combo policies.There are life policies that also have long-term care or long-termdisability included.

Right now, the only true combo policy is critical illness. It'snot cheap to purchase these products on an individual level, and ifwe could have something like this on the group side, I think itwould be popular.

Jennifer Joye, employee benefits executive, Watson InsuranceAgency

Long-term care

Overall, I believe the current suite of products available inthe marketplace is pretty solid and very competitive from carrierto carrier. However, our industry, in my opinion, doesn't promotelong-term care insurance nearly enough. Most advisers don't talkabout it much because LTC is extremely expensive, with few carriersin the space and limited options.

But new legislation in 2006 opened the door to new hybrid LTCproducts that helped reduce the cost while providing needed LTCcoverage. Products like these are often available as a payrolldeducted enhanced benefit and should be installed in more groups,as they can provide valuable life insurance that is fully portablewith no increase in premiums and the often overlooked LTCbenefit.

Eric Silverman, principal and owner, Silverman BenefitsGroup