Tom Vertich

About Tom Vertich

I don’t just design benefit plans—I rethink how they work for real people. For employees: Benefits they actually understand and can use—without PDF overload or guessing games. For leadership: Cost control without sacrificing quality or employee satisfaction.🤝 For everyone: A clear strategy connecting data, design, and real-world experience.Over the past 20 years, I’ve helped Fortune 500s and high-growth employers transform underperforming benefits programs into sustainable, high-impact strategies. I bring an uncommon blend of financial fluency, vendor insight, and operational realism to every engagement. A few outcomes I’m proud of:• Current five-year average annual medical rate increase held to just 3.7%—before cost shifting.• Achieved nearly 40% medical plan migration in a passive enrollment year—driving smarter plan fit, better value, and more dollars back into employees’ pockets.• Boosted annual enrollment meeting participation among medical-enrolled employees to over 30%, emphasizing clear, actionable ways for employees to save money next year (the \"What\'s In It For Me?\" principle).I focus on outcomes that move budgets and lives—whether that means modernizing plan design, improving point-solution alignment, or ensuring communications land exactly when they’re needed (not buried in a benefits guide somewhere between pet insurance and legal plans).Let’s build a benefits experience that works—on paper, in data, and in real life. Creative Work:Alongside my consulting work, I’m currently writing \"Grace at Road’s End\", an upmarket contemporary novel set in South Florida and Key West. The project is targeted for completion in spring–summer 2026. I maintain this creative work in parallel while continuing to support select consulting engagements through Vervia.

Experience

1. Principal, Strategic Benefits & Health Plan Solutions

   Vervia Strategies Group, Llc

   Jun 2025 — Present · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, US

   I launched Vervia to provide strategic consulting and advisory services in health benefits, cost containment, and plan design optimization. With 20+ years of experience across employer-side leadership and consulting, I help forward-thinking organizations tackle real-world benefits challenges—from building smarter networks to improving member experience and taming runaway trend.Focus areas include:• Plan redesign and contribution strategy• Fractional benefits leadership and project-based consulting• PBM and TPA evaluation• Point solution integration• Data utilization and cost driver analysisLicensed previously in multiple states; Texas Life & Health license in progress.

Education

• Florida State University

  Bachelors of Science, Finance

• Florida State University

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Economics

Skills

• Health Savings Accounts
• Cobra
• Employee Benefits
• Health Underwriting
• Hipaa
• Fmla
• Health Insurance
• New Hire Orientations
• Legal Compliance
• Erisa
• Affordable Care Act
• Human Resources
• Health Care Reform
• Global Benefits