To insure your success as a benefits broker in 2016 and beyond, you'll need to diversify business. And that means adding to your core medical insurance other, non-medical products and services that can provide additional sources of income.

So said Freshbenies Co-founder and President Reid Rasmussen during an April 18 afternoon workshop of the 2016 Benefits Selling Expo, being held in Ft. Lauderdale. The session, "Shifting Sands, Navigating Today's Coverage Gaps," explored non-traditional benefits solutions that will be key differentiators for brokers over the next decade.

One factor driving the market's evolution, said Rasmussen, is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). President's Obama's signature health care legislation includes a medical loss ratio (MLR) provision mandating that 80 or 85 percent of health premium dollars pay for claims. The requirement forced providers cut marketing and administrative costs, and to reduce brokers' commissions.