ABOUT
When evaluating brokerage firms and wellness consultants, look for more than a comprehensive suite of services and large company size. When it boils down to it, it's the day to day service team that matters. At Van Vliet Wellness & Insurance Solutions, I am the service team. Hi.
Robin van Vliet
Consultant
As an insurance broker with 15+ years experience, I provide employee benefits insurance solutions to small and mid-sized employers in Northern California.
During my career as a benefits consultant, I have helped merge, re-engineer and create from scratch new teams and practices. Prior to becoming a broker, I was a management consultant helping implement systems and organizational change - an experience that included getting behind the scenes of several large brokerage firms. Going back even further than that, I started my career in Human Resources. The joy of being a sole proprietor is that I can focus on the consulting, truly balance work and life, and let me tell you - team meetings are short!
Personally, aside from being a consultant, I'm a sailor and (former) triathlete. Jasper, my husband of 20+ years, is retired and sails on many competitive boats on the SF Bay. We have a tremendous amount of fun together.
Many brokers are talented at the nuts and bolts of helping advocate for ad hoc claims issues, getting quotes, conducting renewal negotiations and assisting with employee communications. This increasingly includes online portals and integration with other systems. I am too. Once I understand your needs, I'll work to find the right solutions. Let me dive a little deeper into areas that differentiate me.
Type A process geek.
Way, way, back in the pre-Y2K era I started my professional career in HR. So I know enough about that to be dangerous. This is why I've partnered with HRAnswerlink to provide critical HR tools and resources for my clients. I also did a few stints early in my career in both management consulting and tech, so I am always looking for ways to make processes more efficient. I want to provide you with personalized consulting support while taking advantage of opportunities to streamline. I also provide my clients with a benefits administration framework that expands to include new hire onboarding, HRIS features and payroll integration. Solid tech coupled with personalized service - how cool is that?
Compliance dork.
ERISA, COBRA, Cafeteria Plans, HIPAA, Medicare, state and local mandates - these areas were already increasingly complex. Now Health Reform has raised new complexities, with a possible Version 2.0 on the horizon. I have always been committed to creating compliance communications that are in Plain English. Most small employers don't think that they have a compliance responsibility, especially since all of their benefits are fully insured. However, in today's environment that strategy leaves your business exposed to risk.
You're busy, so I don't send out canned newsletters that you don't have time to read. I'll send you a personal email that specifically outlines the issue or update and tells you how it may impact your benefits and what, if any, actions you need to take. I'll send you a reminder if something is due. Most HR people don't have formal training in benefits. I meet with each new client to orient them on the basic legal framework that group benefits need to comply with. I'll help you come up with practical and reasonable approaches to help you maintain compliant group benefits and keep you out of trouble. And as much as I can, I'll just take care of it for you.
Well executed.
My personal wellness journey began in 2005 while working as a senior employee benefits consultant. It started with a call at work from a health coach, and since then I have lost 40 pounds and have competed in dozens of triathlons. For me, wellness is personal – and it’s complex.
Many brokers approach wellness like a product or an outsourced service like COBRA admin. But I understand that to influence the well-being of your workforce, we need to create a culture that will not only encourage them to make good health choices, but actually make it the natural, easy thing to do. This involves having a deeper understanding of your business and having the mettle to try to change things. My project management skill and wellness programming expertise will help you not only with creating a healthier workplace but a more successful company.
LET'S MEET
Robin van Vliet