In the coming weeks, millions of employees will have the opportunity to make benefit decisions that will either enhance their overall financial well-being or keep it status quo. For those of us who have been in the industry long enough, it's not surprising that Americans would rather spend their time shopping for Black Friday deals than reviewing their employee benefit options. We've never made it easy enough.

However, the pandemic has changed all that. For employers, the pivot to remote work last year created a mad dash to prepare for a virtual and digital open enrollment season. For employees, it brought a greater awareness around financial resiliency and being prepared for the unexpected. With news stories around medical bankruptcy and high medical bills, is it any surprise that hospital indemnity insurance suddenly looks a lot more appealing than previous years? The task at hand, for brokers and carriers, is making sure that employers and employees understand what it is, how it can help and why they should consider opting in.

Sarah Oliver is head of enrollment at Guardian Life.