As our industry has learned over and over again, times of fear and disruption provide opportunities to help solve problems and create new solutions.
The start of a new year is typically a time of renewal and optimism, filled with hopeful resolutions, fresh ideas, and energy levels recharged after some much-needed time off. But the long shadow cast by 2020 means that, like so much else these days, this new year feels different.
We return to our home offices battered by heartbreaking news about thousands of new deaths every day as the pandemic rages on into 2021. But we also begin to glimpse light at the end of the tunnel, as vaccines begin to slowly make their way across the country. The many lessons we've learned about resilience and sacrifice in the last year will remain key as we make a long final push toward something closer to normal.
BenefitsPRO editor-in-chief Paul Wilson reflects on the challenges and opportunities of the year to come. Recommended For You
But even as we move forward, we know that "normal" will never look exactly the same. In this month's issue, a variety of industry thought leaders discuss and analyze the challenges and opportunities of the coming year, which many believe will continue to require a lot from all of us.
"We still have a rough road ahead," warns Jennifer Berman in our cover story, "Keep your seatbelts fastened." As she notes, "Unfortunately for all of us, January 1 is just a date on the calendar. I do see a better future, but I don't think things will start to quiet down until well into the new year."
Browse the full digital edition of BenefitsPRO's latest issue. Deborah "Nurse Deb" Ault agrees, cautioning that "we are likely to have a very rude financial awakening for many employers. I think when that happens, employers sponsoring health benefits for their employees are going to have a watershed moment: They will have to decide to either take control of their health plan, or to stop offering health care coverage."
That idea of taking control is one of the key opportunities benefits advisors and employers have to create some positive change and hope out of such a heartbreaking year. As our industry has learned over and over again, times of fear and disruption provide opportunities to help solve problems and create new solutions.
As Fernando Martinez puts it in our cover story, "This will be the biggest year for any broker who is hungry enough and creative enough to use everything going on as a catalyst."
As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, many scars will become visible. The economic toll and more importantly, the impacts on our lives and mental health, will be unlike anything we've faced before. Your clients and their employees will need your advice, solutions and friendship more than ever before.
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Paul Wilson
Paul Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BenefitsPRO Magazine and BenefitsPRO.com. He has covered the insurance industry for more than a decade, including stints at Retirement Advisor Magazine and ProducersWeb.
