Voluntary Benefits

Prudential Financial Inc., the No. 2 U.S. life insurer, posted net income of $1.09 billion in the first quarter driven by results at the U.S. unit.

This is the last in our series of columns on the industry results for 2013.

The days of employer-paid benefits are disappearing faster than a snow cone in Julyespecially when you consider that most companies aren't helping to offset the costs for much more than major medical and physician care for their workers.

Gone are the days when Lasik was a mysterious, untested procedure that might make your eyeballs explode a decade down the road.

Historically, the only employer groups interested in self-funding their health insurance policies were the ones that could absorb the costs of a catastrophic health eventin other words, companies with Fortune 500-level bottom lines.

Although some brokers may be intimidated by stepping into uncharted benefits territory, for others its an opportunity to expand their business and their own knowledge and experience.