Guardian Expands Dental Benefit Options Helps Small Business Owners Lower Insu...( Companies with Two to Nine Employe...),Health

Companies with Two to Nine Employees Now Have Choices and Flexibility

Typically Available on Larger Plans

NEW YORK, March 27 /PRNewswire / -- Small business owners with two to nine employees can now choose from a wider selection of dental plan designs, comparable to the choices typically available only to larger companies.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), a leading provider of employee and voluntary benefits for small and mid-sized companies, today announced the expansion of options that enable small groups with Guardian's Dental Guard Basic and Basic Plus plans to mix and match the level of coverage for procedures such as root canals, crowns, bridges, extractions, and dentures.

"A budding technology company with primarily Gen X and Gen Y employees probably doesn't need coverage for dentures and shouldn't absorb the cost for a benefit that their employees probably won't use," said Clancy Merrill, Executive Director, Guardian Small Group Sales and Strategic Alliances. "With our enhancements, small business owners now have more choices that will help them to not only reduce costs, but also make their benefits relevant to their unique needs."

Additional enhancements for companies with two to nine employees include:

* Increased range of lifetime deductibles

* Optional coverage for posterior composites

* Optional in-network only plans to reduce plan holder costs (available in

allowed states)

* Availability of variable coinsurance for indemnity, NAP and value plans

* Liberalized participation requirements

And for companies with five to nine employees:

* More coverage limits on orthodontia work

* Elimination of 12 month deferment requirement on major and periodontal

work, giving members access to coverage sooner

"Dental insurance is a popular and relatively low cost benefit," said Jim Pogue, Vice President, Guardi
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