About Us
At CBSI we are uniquely equipped to help you unlock the engaged employee, because we’ve helped companies just like yours solve this problem without creating more cost. Unlike other insurance brokers, CBSI engages in a multi-step process throughout the year to listen, learn and clarify your employee concerns, creating solutions that align your company’s benefits with their wants and needs. But our approach goes beyond benefit solutions. Through experience, we have come to understand that educating your employees on their benefits is often more important than the actual benefits themselves. Better solutions together with communication unlocks the engaged employee.
For some this seems counter-intuitive, but it is a conversation you should not avoid. 96% of employees who are satisfied with their benefits are satisfied with their jobs, making tailored benefits and increased communication the best methods to shore up your bottom line. Attacking and solving the ‘unhappy employee syndrome’ that many companies experience will give you an advantage over competitors while slashing your investments in recruiting, hiring and training.
Great leaders see opportunity where others don’t. Real progress and real change for your company can only come with your vision. From your vantage point you are constantly looking for the next advantage, always understanding that there is always more to learn.
Let us show you how to make your business better, in unexpected ways.
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Meet Our Team
Vladimir St. Phard
President & CEO
Favorite Food: Buffalo Wings!
Favorite Places & Flavors: Jughandle Inn, Silk City Diner, Skelly’s High Point Pub, St. Martin, Hot Blue Ranch, Garlic & Asian Chili, and Thai. Honorable mention goes to pizza, burgers, and my special brisket.
Favorite Musician: Jonathan Butler
Other Loves: I love simple fun things like spending time with my friends and family, watching sports, and, of course, consuming Buffalo wings.
Why CBSI: My passion is to help businesses truly connect with their employees. Health insurance and other benefits play big roles in doing just that. By using your employee benefits as a tool and not a cost center, you can reduce employee stress and increase productivity and retention…. Plus, it just feels right!
Rachelle St. Phard
Chief Administrative Officer
Favorite Food: Lobster
Favorite Vacation Spot: St. Martin
Favorite Song: Oceans by Hillsong
Other Loves: I am passionate about volunteering and doing what I can to help others. I coordinate the CBSI sponsored annual charity Christmas party each year for The Word In Action International Ministries, and I am working year-round to make that event something really special for the kids.
Why CBSI: I love problem-solving and helping people find the best solutions to their challenges. Whether it’s working with our employment benefit specialists to solve a client’s problem or juggling vendors and budgets for our charity events, taking the pieces apart and finding more effective alternative paths to resolution is my specialty.
Donna Herrman
Vice President
Favorite Vacation Spot: Any beach anywhere!
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Song: This is amazing Grace by Phil Wickham
Why CBSI: I am passionate about helping people navigate the healthcare maze during some of the most difficult times of their lives, and I specialize in the appeals process. Did you know that insurance companies don’t always make the final decision on your benefits claims? Every member has the right to file a complaint with the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance, and it’s my job to ensure employees are covered, healthy, and engaged to the process and value of their benefits.
Alexis Swart
Bookkeeper & Account Manager
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Movie: Grease
Favorite Vacay Spot: Surf City, NJ!
Why CBSI: For the past 10 years I have enjoyed working at CBSI, not only because it’s such a short commute from my home, but because I work with such amazing people – in the office and with our clients. Our teamwork is outstanding at CBSI. We collaborate and elevate each other in the name of finding the best resolutions for our clients, and because of it, our customers know they can count on us.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Maximizing Impact: The Value of Voluntary Benefits for Today’s Workforce
In this session, our experts will showcase the value of voluntary benefits, from financial savings to improved retention to addressing the specific needs of their employees.
March 20, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
HIPAA Privacy and Security Overview
Join our compliance experts for an overview of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules. During this webinar, we'll review the different types of entities subject to HIPAA, take an in-depth look at protected health information (PHI), individual rights under HIPAA, and what to do when there is a breach of PHI.
April 11, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Balancing Cost and Care: Could a Captive solution be the right fit for you?
In this session, our experts will discuss how Captive solutions work and what you need to consider for your own group’s needs.
April 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Reminder: RxDC Reporting Due June 1
With the 2024 reference year RxDC reporting deadline approaching in June, plan sponsors should refamiliarize themselves with the reporting requirements. The 2024 reference year RxDC Reporting Instructions have been released, though there were no changes to the reporting requirements or data elements from last year.
February 10, 2025
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Employee Benefits, Prescription Drugs and the Importance of Benchmarking
Benchmarking — the process of comparing benefits among companies of similar size, industry and geographic location — is a vital exercise in designing an employee benefits program that enables a company to compete and retain talent without damaging the bottom line.
January 27, 2025
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Your Guide to a Competitive, Cost-Efficient Employee Benefits Program
Alera Group’s recently released "2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook" is a report designed to help you make informed decisions on designing a state-of-the-industry program that attracts and retains talented workers while guarding against the inefficiencies that drive up benefits spend — especially on healthcare and prescription drugs.
January 21, 2025
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The Market for Employee Benefits in 2025
Join Alera Group on January 16 from 1-2 p.m. CT as we highlight the key findings in our "2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook" and discuss how trends in employee benefits may affect your business' offerings. The insights we’ll share and the questions we’ll answer will help you determine your benefits strategy for the months ahead.
January 6, 2025
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