Advertisement
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), a leadingprovider of employee and voluntary benefits for small and mid-size companies,is offering the Cost Estimator tool to empower dental plan members to makebetter decisions to help improve their oral health and use their benefitswisely.
Advertisement
With most dental plans, members don't always have immediate access todental procedure cost estimates, or the ability to quickly determine the pricedifference between in-network and out-of-network dentists.
"Could you imagine shopping at the supermarket without product labels andprice tags?" said Richard Goren, DDS, 2nd vice president, Guardian GroupDental. "You really wouldn't know if you found a great deal. But shoppingwithout a price tag is what many consumers face when they select their dentalcare provider. With our new Cost Estimator tool, employees can find out theapproximate cost of services before they reach the dental office. Thisenhancement is in addition to the benefit of working with Guardian, a companythat has one of the largest dental networks in the United States and one ofthe industry's broadest selections of dental, life, disability, voluntary andhealth insurance plan options for small to mid-size companies."
In addition to access to price estimates for the most prevalent dentaltreatments and conditions, the Cost Estimator:
-- Features a dental glossary where members can find descriptions of keydental terms.
-- Facilitates searches for Guardian Dental network dentists.
-- Provides members with a link to a dental educational content site, sothey can take advantage of articles on how to maintain good oral health andits impact on their overall health and well-being.
The Cost Estimator and other easy-to-use online tools are available atwww.GuardianAnytime.com. Members can find information that empowers them totake better care of their oral and overall health, including:
-- Tips for a healthy smile. Topics include information about getting theright care, managing children's dental health, and preventing and recognizingdental problems.
-- A provider locator. Members can create a customized list of providersbased on their preferences, or look up a specific provider.
-- Maps and directions to dental offices.
"Dental insurance is a popular and relatively low cost benefit," saidChris Swanker, vice president, Guardian Group Dental. "But in the face ofeconomic uncertainty and cost pressures from healthcare, Guardian is committedto improving oral health, keeping dental care affordable and saving ourmembers and planholders money. Price transparency is the wave of the futurein dental care and empowers consumers to make better decisions that willultimately benefit employers and employees."
Guardian specializes in providing employee benefits to small and mid-sizecompanies. Guardian serves more than 120,000 employers, and 6 millionemployees and their families. The company has issued a series of educationalsurveys and reports to help employees, employers and benefit decision makersbetter understand how they can jumpstart their financial lives, and improveemployee recruitment, retention and satisfaction by maximizing the use andpower of their workplace coverage. Four reports currently available in theseries include:
-- Benefits & Behavior: Spotlight on Group Medical
-- Benefits & Behavior: Spotlight on Dental
-- Benefits & Behavior: Spotlight on Group Life and Disability Insurance
-- Benefits & Behavior: The Voice of American Business Owners and BenefitDecision Makers Today
