In 2015, insurance carriers are seeing unprecedented opportunity for new growth, thanks in large part to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA") and other market forces; this is especially true for those offering Voluntary Benefits (VB). One source cites 60 percent growth in VB sales from 2013 to 2014 attributable to the ACA (see "It's not business as usual: The new face of insurance brokers" in The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism, January 2015).

At the same time, these market forces are causing unprecedented disruption in the distribution of these coverages, adding cost and complexity for carriers. Here we discuss how to mitigate some of this channel disruption, and describe how carriers can position themselves for long-term success, through the syndication of online services, in particular enrollment and evidence of insurability (EOI).

Syndication – making key services available online across a variety of platforms and exchanges – allows carriers to control branding, compliance, and cost. Syndication also makes it easier for the carrier to tap into additional distribution channels.