Major medical, life, disability: No question those three typesof insurance form the foundation of a solid employee benefitsprogram, and likely are part of every conversation you have withyour clients. And they’re a great start, but they’re not enough;not if your clients want to offer a competitive benefits package,and not if you want to continue building your relationships withnew solutions, opening new doors and increasing your revenuestream.

That’s why you should consider adding accident insurance to your portfolio. You won’tbe alone: Voluntary accident sales jumped 11 percent from 2014 to2015, with nearly a billion dollars in annualized premium and morethan $2.4 billion of in-force premium, according to LIMRA’s 2016U.S. Supplemental Health Sales and In Force Survey.

That trend continued last year, with another 2.3 percentincrease in industry sales — and much more than that for some topvoluntary carriers.

Clearly, customers are seeing value in this financial protectionbenefit and smart brokers are bringing it to the table. If you’renot yet one of them, here are five reasons why you shouldbe.

1. America’s workers are financiallyfragile.

The average major medical insurance deductible is almost $1,500 and more than triple that — $5,000 — for high deductible health plans. Yet most employees don’t havethat kind of money readily available. In fact, nearly half ofAmericans say they’d have trouble coming up with just $400 in anemergency, and only 37 percent could cover a $1,000 emergency room visit with moneythey’ve saved.

Accident insurance can help workers protect their financialwell-being by bridging that gap. Even good major medical insurancecan leave workers with significant out-of-pocket costs following anaccidental injury, including emergency room fees and copayments,not to mention those high deductibles. There can also be nonmedicalcosts health insurance doesn’t cover, such as lost income frombeing out of work, rehabilitation, caregiver fees and travel coststo treatment.

Offering accident coverage can give your clients’ employeesaccess to affordable ways to get the care they need, especiallywhen the unexpected happens.

2. Accidents happen

“I’m not accident-prone” is one of the objections often heard byRich Harrington, a top producer of accident sales for Colonial Lifebased in Rhode Island. He points out getting accident coverageisn’t, well, pointing a finger.

“Many times accidents aren’t your fault,” he tells employeesduring benefits counseling meetings. “It could be someone elsecausing you to get in an accident. I recently had two car accidentsin a four-month period, neither of which were my fault.”

No matter whose fault, 39 million Americans do seek medical helpfor injuries every year, according to the National Safety Council.And that treatment can be expensive. For example, without healthinsurance, a trip to the emergency room for a broken arm can cost$2,500. If surgery is needed, that jumps to$16,000.

3. Other coverage might not cut it.

Health and auto insurance will cover my accidents, right?Maybe, but many accidents treated in hospital emergency rooms arerelated to sports, not driving. Basketball, bicycle riding,exercise, football and soccer are among the top injury-producingsports. And many common accidents such as falls, burns and cutsoccur at home — by far the most “popular” place for nonfatalaccidents.

Accident insurance can help pay for nonmedical costs, too, saysM.J. Gattozzi Licata, a benefits counselor in Colonial Life’s NorthAtlantic region.

“With single men under age 30, I point out if something were tohappen while they’re out there having fun, there might not beanyone around to help with bills. And if they work with theirhands, an accident could prevent them from doing their jobs for aperiod of time.”

4. It adds value without cost to yourclients.

With voluntary accident insurance, employees select and pay forthe coverage if they want it, so there’s no cost to your clients.Employees can buy coverage for themselves, and sometimes theirspouse or partner and their eligible dependent children.

Accident insurance is usually indemnity-based, meaning it pays aset amount based on the injury and treatment the insured receives.For example, a policy might pay $1,400 for a broken leg or $2,800if surgery is required to treat it. The benefits are paiddirectly to the insured and aren’t reduced by what some otherinsurance might pay. Unlike workers’ compensation, it can coverinjuries that happen off the job as well as at work.

Most accident plans are compatible with health savings accounts,which could be increasingly important if health care reformproposed changes continue to make HSAs more attractive to consumersand employers.

5. New options create personalized plans andexpand coverage.

Accident plans have evolved in recent years to offer greatercustomization and even more value. The newest plans allow yourclients options to include additional benefits in their base planto create coverage that best meets the needs of their employeepopulation. Examples include an “active lifestyles” option thatincreases the benefit amount, a gunshot wound benefit for expensesfrom a nonfatal gunshot wound, and a wellbeing benefit that helpspay for routine preventive care such as a colonoscopy, mammogram or blood test.

Today’s plans also allow employees to further customize theircoverage by choosing from a variety of optional riders. These caninclude a disability income rider that pays benefits if the injurykeeps the employee out of work, a critical illness rider that paysa lump sum when a serious illness such as heart attack or stroke isfirst diagnosed, and a hospital confinement rider that helps payfor hospital admission to treat a covered sickness.

It’s no accident more and more employers and employees areseeing the value in voluntary accident insurance. It’s simple,affordable coverage that meets a growing need for today’sfinancially fragile workers. By bringing accident insurance to thetable, you can help your clients offer a more comprehensive,competitive benefits program while controlling their benefits costs— and create a new revenue stream for your business.