Voluntary benefits are increasingly becoming part of the fabric of a total employee compensation package, and few benefits are as timely and necessary as critical illness insurance.

Yet, despite its cost-effective nature and increasing value in today's health care environment, critical illness is one voluntary benefit employers and their employees still have a hard time understanding. These five steps can help you teach both employers and employees its worthiness, especially now, when its need has never been greater.

In the wake of rising health insurance costs, employees are paying a higher share of premium for employer-provided health insurance, while simultaneously taking on higher out-of-pocket costs. These expenses can total thousands of dollars per year. This increased financial responsibility by employees, as well as related out-of-pocket expenses associated with a critical medical condition, comes at a time when many families and individuals are struggling with having little to no emergency cash reserves.