Like most people, you may have seen your car insurance premiums increase this year even if you haven’t had any auto accidents in the past 12 months. The personal car insurance industry is currently in a hard market, meaning the price of insurance is higher than usual.

Voluntary benefits are becoming increasingly important to employees as they focus on their physical, mental, social and financial health. As a result, many employers have expanded their voluntary benefits offerings to address employees’ needs and improve their attraction and retention efforts.

A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that nearly half (43%) of insured adults who rated their mental health as “fair” or “poor” were unable to receive necessary mental health services or medication in the past year. Amid a shortage of mental health professionals, many patients are struggling to find mental health care services. Insurance issues, such as lack of coverage and availability, may exacerbate the problem, KFF found.

One in 4 working adults will become disabled before reaching retirement age, according to data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Unfortunately, many workers are unprepared to lose their income or unable to afford unexpected medical expenses.

A growing number of employers are currently experiencing a rise in catastrophic health claims, largely due to medical and pharmaceutical advances (e.g., specialty drugs and cell and gene therapies). In the past, employers have expanded cost-sharing methods to reign in rising health expenses, such as offering high deductible health plans, but today’s employers are hesitant to shift costs onto employees amid the tight labor market.