In an article predicting which issues were likely to dominate the benefits landscape in 2020, Alan Goforth quoted the 1950 film All About Eve: "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night." He meant that mostly regarding the upcoming presidential election, which was expected to be, in the words of Emily Bremer, president and owner of Bremer Benefits in St. Louis, "the hottest topic in 2020." As it turned out, the election had some tough, unforeseen competition. After nearly a year, COVID-19 is still very much with us amidst hopes of putting it in our collective rearview mirror as vaccine distribution begins. "It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic's fingerprints are all over the 2021 insurance trends," writes Michael Trilli, research director at Aite Group. The independent research and advisory firm has released its top ten trends reports for the new year, and envisions an insurance industry looking "to regain its footing after a turbulent year." The report forecasts significant changes in the individual direct purchase market for health insurance and the group market for benefits, with financial wellness becoming "a true competitive differentiator." Additionally, Aite believes the future of health care consumerism may well be set by the shake-up of the payer and provider relationship. See our slideshow for Aite's top ten insurance trends for 2021, along with highlights from the report.