Hightstown, NJ

    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.

    Meet Our Team

    Vladimir St. Phard

    President & CEO
    Vladimir St. Phard

    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
    Rachelle St. Phard

    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
    Donna Herrman

    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
    Alexis Swart

    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

    Collaborative Conversations: 2025 - What to Expect and What You Need to Know

    Save the date for a conversation in September where we will discuss the impending PLO changes by BOLI and the Employment Department, their impacts, and other critical considerations.

    September 12, 2024 at 08:30 am PT | Virtual

    Sign Up
    Image that reads webinar

    Employee Benefits

    Is Tech-Enabled Brokerage Right for You?

    Our experts will lay out what tech-enabled brokerage is, how it works and why it makes sense for the right organizations.

    September 19, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

    Sign Up
    Webinar graphic - Alera Engage

    Employee Benefits

    Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce

    Our experts will provide tips and insights about how to incorporate Medicare, menopause benefits, retirement, communications best practices and other hot topics for older workers into your program successfully and without breaking the bank.

    October 17, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

    Sign Up
    Webinar Graphic - Alera Engage

    THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

    Insights

    Employee Benefits

    Preparing for 2025: Creditable Coverage, Enrolling in Medicare and HSA Contributions

    With significant changes coming in 2025 to creditable coverage determinations, employers and employees may have questions on what that means for them, whether they make the decision to enroll in Medicare Part D or continue to have coverage under their group health plan.

    September 5, 2024

    Find out more

    Employee Benefits

    Webinar: Better Benefits Administration and Lower Costs

    If you don’t have expert assistance to guide you and your organization in the in using a sophisticated benefits portal, you’re wasting a lot of the money your business has invested — and probably frustrating the employees you mean to serve. Working with a brokerage that offers not only a leading-edge benefits portal but also year-round support and services enables your employees to seamlessly access, understand and navigate the portal, creating a positive benefits experience.

    September 5, 2024

    Find out more

    Employee Benefits

    Medicare Part D Credibility Determinations for Non-Calendar Year Plans

    In 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) added a voluntary prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program. The benefit, known as Medicare Part D or “Part D,” is an optional program for Medicare beneficiaries to access covered prescription drugs at a lower cost. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed and set into motion changes to Part D benefits, with additional impact on employers in 2024 and 2025.

    September 5, 2024

    Find out more

    Property and Casualty

    Workers’ Compensation: Stable market with emerging challenges from mental health claims

    Despite pressure from medical inflation, increases in fee schedules on medical procedures and wage inflation affecting premiums and benefits, Workers’ Compensation remains a stable and profitable line for insurers. This stability allows buyers favorable conditions, such as ample capacity and stable rates. However, a new trend is emerging: the inclusion of mental health claims as compensable workers’ compensation.

    August 28, 2024

    Find out more