What Claudia does, and for whom
Life insurance for owners, health plans for employers, people strategy for leaders. All of it runs the same four steps.
The four steps, for each kind of client
| Step | Owners and family offices | Employers, health plans | Leaders, workforce advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Root | Map what you own and what must surviveOwnership, entities, partners, family goals and the cash the business or estate will need at transition.You get: one-page map of assets, entities and obligations; the liquidity gap, in dollars | Audit three years of claimsEstablish the plan’s true risk profile. In the 3,000-employee case, 80% of cost came from 12% of claimants.You get: retrospective claims analysis; go or no-go on self-funding | Listen to leadership and the dataInterviews with the CHRO, CFO and COO, plus a look at attrition, performance and collaboration data.You get: findings memo; agreed definition of the problem |
| 2Structure | Design with your attorney and CPAModel estate, buy-sell and executive scenarios. Choose ownership, funding approach and trust design with your legal and tax team.You get: side-by-side structure options; tax and cash-flow assumptions in writing | Architect the stop-lossSet specific and aggregate stop-loss so catastrophic claims are capped and routine savings stay with you.You get: per-member and aggregate thresholds; cash-flow model for the plan year | Design the organization and the planSuccession, org design, rewards and AI-readiness roadmaps built around how your people actually work.You get: roadmap and sequencing; success measures leadership signs off on |
| 3Place | Take it to market on your behalfCompare carriers on underwriting, pricing and financial strength. Independent of the carriers, so the recommendation is yours to challenge.You get: ranked carrier comparison; a clear recommendation, including “do not buy” | Run the TPA and PBM selectionCompetitive RFP for a third-party administrator with real-time claims reporting, and a transparent pass-through PBM.You get: vendor scorecard; contracts that disclose spread and rebates | Put the right people and tools inHR technology selection, leadership development and staffing strategy, run alongside your team.You get: vendor shortlist and selection; program launch plan |
| 4Tend | Review every year, not at renewal onlyPolicy performance, carrier health, law changes and family changes get a standing annual review.You get: annual stewardship review; updated plan when life changes | Make the data visible, every monthEmployee communication framed around benefits, then monthly claims and drug-level reporting to HR and finance.You get: phased employee communication; monthly reporting to hr and finance | Measure what changedQuarterly checks against the measures leadership chose at the start.You get: quarterly scorecard; adjustments, with reasons |
Owners and family offices
- Root: Map what you own and what must survive. Ownership, entities, partners, family goals and the cash the business or estate will need at transition.
- Structure: Design with your attorney and CPA. Model estate, buy-sell and executive scenarios. Choose ownership, funding approach and trust design with your legal and tax team.
- Place: Take it to market on your behalf. Compare carriers on underwriting, pricing and financial strength. Independent of the carriers, so the recommendation is yours to challenge.
- Tend: Review every year, not at renewal only. Policy performance, carrier health, law changes and family changes get a standing annual review.
Employers, health plans
- Root: Audit three years of claims. Establish the plan’s true risk profile. In the 3,000-employee case, 80% of cost came from 12% of claimants.
- Structure: Architect the stop-loss. Set specific and aggregate stop-loss so catastrophic claims are capped and routine savings stay with you.
- Place: Run the TPA and PBM selection. Competitive RFP for a third-party administrator with real-time claims reporting, and a transparent pass-through PBM.
- Tend: Make the data visible, every month. Employee communication framed around benefits, then monthly claims and drug-level reporting to HR and finance.
Leaders, workforce advisory
- Root: Listen to leadership and the data. Interviews with the CHRO, CFO and COO, plus a look at attrition, performance and collaboration data.
- Structure: Design the organization and the plan. Succession, org design, rewards and AI-readiness roadmaps built around how your people actually work.
- Place: Put the right people and tools in. HR technology selection, leadership development and staffing strategy, run alongside your team.
- Tend: Measure what changed. Quarterly checks against the measures leadership chose at the start.
Legacy and complex life insurance
Structured protection for the people and companies you have spent a career building. We work alongside your attorney and CPA.
| Stage | What usually comes up |
|---|---|
| Founder-led growth | Key person insurance |
| Partners and key people | Buy-sell funding, partnership agreements |
| Executive retention | Deferred compensation, executive benefits |
| The transition | Liquidity so the business is never a forced seller |
| The next generation | Generational and business tax planning with life insurance |
- Generational and business tax planning with life insurance
- Buy-sell funding
- Business partnership and succession planning
- Deferred compensation
- Executive benefits strategy
- Key person insurance
- Life, disability and supplemental benefits
- Transactional insurance
Usually for founders, business owners, family offices and executive teams at mid-sized companies.
Self-funded and health plans
For California employers who want to see where every benefit dollar goes. Fully insured, self-funded and level-funded, with the analytics to prove which one works.
- Group health: fully insured and self-funded
- Captive insurance
- Pharmacy benefit management and PBM audit
- Claims reporting and data analytics for HR
- Wellness point solutions
- Workers’ compensation claims strategy
- Employment practices liability (EPLI)
- Directors and officers, professional and cyber liability
Usually for California employers of 200 to 5,000 people, self-insured plan sponsors and HR teams managing complex benefits.
Workforce transformation and advisory
People strategy and board-level counsel for leaders in the middle of a succession, an acquisition or an AI rollout.
- Executive HR advisory and CHRO-level coaching
- Workforce roadmaps and succession planning
- Organizational design and culture assessment
- People analytics: attrition, collaboration, performance
- AI integration in HRIS and AI upskilling
- HR technology vendor selection
- Board governance and risk committee advisory
- Exit planning, philanthropic strategy and speaking
Usually for CHROs, CEOs, board members and family offices navigating growth, M&A, AI or leadership transition.
Ways to begin
| Length | Call | What happens | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | Intro call, free | A fit check. Describe the situation and hear whether Claudia can help. | Book |
| 30 min | Brainstorm | Bring one problem. Leave with a point of view and the next two steps. | Book |
| 60 min | Consultation | A working session with your documents, ideally with your CFO, attorney or CPA. | Book |
Questions people ask before booking
What is the difference between an advisor and a broker?
A broker is paid when a policy is placed. An advisor is paid to be right. Claudia works as an independent advisor: she designs the structure first, compares the market second, and tells you plainly when a product is not worth buying. Her years inside national brokerages mean she knows where fees and incentives hide.
Who is complex life insurance for?
Founders and owners whose business is most of their estate, family offices funding multi-generational plans, and executive teams whose compensation has outgrown qualified plans. If the question is liquidity at transition, buy-sell funding or tax-efficient transfer, it usually belongs here.
Do you work with my attorney and CPA?
Yes, and we insist on it. Trust design, ownership and tax treatment sit with your legal and tax team. Claudia models the insurance side, brings the numbers to them, and keeps everyone working from the same page.
When does self-funding a health plan make sense?
Often when an employer has roughly 200 or more employees, stable cash flow and a renewal pattern of steady increases. A three-year claims review shows whether it holds up. One client with 3,000+ employees moved from fully insured to self-funded and saved over $4 million a year by year two.
How do I get started, and what does it cost to talk?
Book a call. The 15-minute intro is free and is a plain fit check. The 30-minute brainstorm and the 60-minute consultation go deeper once there is something to work on.
What is Legacy-Maker.insure?
A planned site for individual and small-business health coverage through the ACA and Covered California. It is scheduled for mid-2027. Leave your email and you will hear first.