Howard VanBooven
Hi, I'm Howard — your benefits advisor
Major carrier plans XGB Group Benefits No-cost EHP program
Small Business Health Insurance & Benefits

Care for the people who build your business.

Group health plans, ancillary benefits, and workplace wellness — strategically designed for small employers who want to compete for talent without overpaying for it.

Working with leading carriers
Blue Cross Blue Shield UnitedHealthcare Aetna Cigna Humana
What we offer

A complete benefits stack, without the complexity.

Most small businesses don't need more options — they need the right ones. We curate plans across top carriers to fit your team, your budget, and your goals.

01 / Medical

Group Health Plans

HMO, PPO, HDHP, and level-funded options from major carriers. We help you balance coverage richness with monthly cost.

02 / Ancillary

Dental, Vision & Life

Round out your benefits package with voluntary and employer-paid dental, vision, life, and disability coverage.

03 / Wellness

Workplace Wellness

EAPs, mental health resources, preventive screenings, and wellness incentive programs that actually get used.

04 / HRAs

ICHRA & QSEHRA

Reimbursement arrangements that let you support employees' individual coverage tax-free — ideal for distributed teams.

05 / Compliance

ACA & ERISA Compliance

Stay ahead of reporting, notices, and applicable employer mandates. We handle the paperwork so you handle the business.

06 / Support

Year-Round Service

Open enrollment, claims questions, billing issues, new hires — your team has a real person to call, not a 1-800 maze.

Plans we offer

Three pathways to better benefits.

Independent doesn't mean one-size-fits-all. We curate the right combination from major carriers, group benefit programs, and tax-advantaged wellness offerings — tailored to your team and your budget.

Traditional Group Plans

Major Carrier Plans

Fully-insured group medical, dental, vision, and life from the carriers your team already knows and trusts — shopped competitively every renewal.

  • BCBS, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana
  • HMO, PPO, HDHP, and HSA-eligible options
  • Standard ancillary lines (dental / vision / life / disability)
  • Best fit for groups wanting brand-name carrier networks
Request a custom quote →
Tax-Advantaged Wellness

EHP / SIMERP Program

Add benefits at no net cost — a SIMERP-based wellness program funded by your own payroll tax savings. Pairs alongside any existing health plan.

  • Average ~$900/year FICA savings per participating employee
  • Up to 30% potential workers' comp premium reduction
  • Telemedicine, wellness tools, dental, vision, life included
  • Guaranteed-issue ancillary benefits — no health questions
  • ACA-, IRS-, HIPAA-, and ERISA-compliant
  • 30–45 days from agreement to fully operational
Explore EHP for your business →
✦ Why employers love EHP

Add benefits at no net cost — funded by your own payroll tax savings.

EHP works alongside your existing health insurance. No carrier change, no employee take-home pay reduction, no out-of-pocket spend for the business — funded entirely through tax savings already on your payroll.

See your potential savings

Figures are averages based on national program data. Actual savings depend on payroll size, participation, state regulations, and individual circumstances. A custom census-based proposal is required for accurate projections.

~$900
Avg FICA savings per employee / yr
30%
Potential workers' comp reduction
$0
Net cost to the employer
How it works

Four conversations to better benefits.

Our process is built for busy owners and HR leads. No 60-page proposals. No confusing jargon. Just clarity.

i.

Discovery

A 20-minute call about your team, current coverage, frustrations, and goals. No commitment.

ii.

Strategy

We model 2–3 plan structures across carriers and show you the trade-offs side-by-side.

iii.

Enrollment

Employee-facing materials, one-on-ones if needed, and digital enrollment that takes minutes per person.

iv.

Stewardship

We stay involved year-round and reshop the market every renewal. You're never alone with a problem.

Why we exist

Small businesses deserve benefits guidance that's actually built for them.

The benefits industry was designed for Fortune 500 companies. Everyone else gets bolted-on solutions, sales-quota agents, and renewal letters that read like riddles.

We work exclusively with small and mid-sized employers — typically 2 to 100 employees — because that's where independent guidance matters most. We're paid by the carriers, not by you, but we work for you.

Our job is to translate, negotiate, and stick around. Whether that's explaining what a deductible actually means to a new hire, or rebuilding your whole benefits stack to keep retention up, we're the team that picks up the phone.

Howard VanBooven
Howard VanBooven

Licensed Benefits Advisor

i.
Independent & carrier-agnostic

We're not selling a single carrier's product. We shop the whole market every year.

ii.
Plain-language explanations

Your team will actually understand their plan — leading to higher utilization and satisfaction.

iii.
Built for growth

From your first hire through your hundredth, we scale benefits strategy alongside your business.

iv.
Local, accountable, responsive

You'll know your advisor by name. Same person at signing, renewal, and every claim question in between.

Get started

Tell us about your team — we'll send back real numbers.

Share a few details and Howard will respond within one business day with a tailored proposal across multiple carriers. Always free, never any obligation.

636-497-2680 howard@howardvanbooven.com
Serving Missouri, Illinois & the St. Louis Metro

Thank you — we'll be in touch.

Howard will follow up within one business day with next steps.

Howard
Ellie — Benefits Assistant
Online · AI-powered
Ellie is an AI assistant providing general information. For specific quotes or coverage decisions, please contact Howard directly.