Just in time for the holidays, a few voluntary benefit carriers are offering their employer clients the gift of inoculation against a worldwide pandemic as an enhancement to their respective critical-illness plans – and in the process, refreshing the worksite market with a unique new service.

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions now covers vaccines, including the H1N1 virus – a strain of the swine flu that has infected 22 million Americans. It’s bundled at no additional cost for critical-illness policyholders who have a health screening benefit that also covers mammography, Pap smear, serum cholesterol, PSA test for prostate cancer, stress test and colonoscopy.

Trustmark, which provides payroll-deducted voluntary benefits for organizations with 100 or more employees, already covers vaccines in a wellness benefit for accident policies. Other coverage includes life and disability insurance.

Dave Cirulis, vice president of sales at the company, believes employers are more focused than ever on employee wellness at a time when concern about the H1N1 virus is mounting. “By giving producers a solution to bring to their clients that’s practical, valuable and top of mind to everyone in the value-chain,” he surmises, “we can’t help but stimulate the appreciation and demand for voluntary benefits.”

In a similar move, Unum recently added an H1N1 vaccine to the list of qualifying procedures for a group critical-illness wellness benefit as part of a limited-time-offer for the 2009-2010 flu season. The wellness benefit pays policyholders $75 a year as an enticement to participate, while an individual health screening benefit rider pays $50 and covers the same tests as Trustmark.

Lydia Jilek, director of product development for Unum, says the vaccine provides enrollers with “a fresh selling tactic at the point of sale to increase participation.” She also notes that employers can use it as “a tool to help prevent extended absences, and protect workplace productivity and profitability.” In addition, she says covered employees who are vaccinated are rewarded for doing so, while brokers receive an opportunity to strengthen their customer relationships by tapping into a timely concern.