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Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)
160 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Guardian Direct is a division of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, which is among the largest mutual insurance companies in the nation. Founded in 1860 and headquartered in New York, Guardian offers a wide array of products, including dental insurance. Guardian employs numerous agents across the country and holds a superior rating with the BBB and excellent ratings for financial stability.

Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance - Overview

Guardian Direct's dental insurance is part of a series of comprehensive individual insurance products offered on guardiandirect.com, including accident, critical illness, vision and pet insurance. 

Guardian Direct dental insurance plans can cover regular exams, cleanings, x-rays, root canals, crowns, implants, and braces. Consumers can choose from a number of Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans or a Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) plan based on their needs, budget, and state.  


 

Qualification

Consumers interested in dental insurance from Guardian Direct can enroll immediately through their fast, safe and secure website guardiandirect.com.  Guardiandirect.com also provides a provider lookup to help find a dentist in the Guardian network or confirm their existing dentist is a part of the network. 

After providing their zip code, applicants are shown the plans that are available for them in their area.  To purchase, they need only enter who needs to be covered, home address, phone number, gender, birthdate and email address along with a valid form of payment.  


Plans

Through Guardian Direct, consumers have access to three tiers of PPO dental insurance plans. The first, Bronze, is for people who are only expecting to get cleanings and the occasional filling. The second, Silver, works best for those who anticipate needing dental work beyond the occasional filling. And the third, Gold, is best suited for people who want the maximum amount of coverage possible. In the states of FL, IL, NY, and TX, DHMO plans are also available. The PPO plan tiers' offering is as follows:

Coverage

Preventive services include the most routine dental services, such as oral exams, cleanings, and X-rays.

Basic services include dental services, such as fillings and simple extractions.

Major services include more complex dental services such as crowns, oral surgery, and implants.

 

GUARDIAN DIRECT PAYS

PLAN BENEFITS

GOLD ADVANTAGE

SILVER ADVANTAGE

BRONZE ADVANTAGE

Preventive Services

100%, No Waiting Period

80%, No Waiting Period

100%, No Waiting Period

Basic Services

70%, After 6 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 6 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 6 Month Waiting Period 

Major Services

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period 

0% (Not Covered)

Implants

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

0% (Not Covered)

Child (under 19) Orthodontia

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

0% (Not Covered)

0% (Not Covered) 

DEDUCTIBLES

 

 

 

Preventive Services

$0 In-Network

$50 Out-of-Network

$0 In-Network

$50 Out-of-Network

$0 In-Network

$50 Out-of-Network

All Other Dental Services 

$50

$50

$50

MAXIMUM PAYOUTS

 

 

 

Total Benefit Maximum

1st Year Max: $500

2nd Year Max: $750

3rd Year Max: $1,000

4th Year & Beyond Max: $1,500

1st Year Max: $500

2nd Year Max: $750

3rd Year Max: $1,000

4th Year & Beyond Max: $1,000

1st Year Max: $1,000

2nd Year Max: $1,250

3rd Year Max: $1,500

4th Year & Beyond Max: $1,000

Implant Maximum

Lifetime Max: $1,000

Lifetime Max: $700

Not Covered

Child (under 19) Orthodontia Maximum

Yearly Max: $500

Lifetime Max: $1,000

Yearly Max: $500

Lifetime Max: $1,000

Not Covered

Dental Insurance at Guardian Direct

Guardian Direct's easy online enrollment process, comprehensive plan breakdown, and supplementary research material all make for a solid choice of dental insurance. After consumers answer a few questions designed to determine which plans best suit them, they can begin the enrollment process. Since Guardian Direct is highly rated by the BBB, consumers should have confidence that the company can meet their dental insurance needs.


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160 Customer Comments & Reviews

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J
Jean
4/5/2017
The policy states that one must see the dentist to which one is assigned. I made an appointment for my husband with the dentist to which we are assigned, but this dentist sees patients at an address that differs from the address he is listed at in the provider directory. Guardian denied the claim because the address was different. I was told that if my husband had seen a dentist at the assigned ADDRESS then they could make an exception. However, right dentist, wrong address is a deal breaker. This bait and switch makes me feel angry and helpless. Naturally, one cannot speak to anyone with any more authority than the customer service representative. So, now I will have to soak up $600... Read More


G
Gratzman
2/17/2017
Signed up for plan through marketplace. On that site it said there was a $75 deductible per person then it paid 90% of out of network preventive charges. My wife had our dentist (out of network provider) submit their bill and they paid nothing. Now their customer service says there is a $150 deductible (still shows $75 deductible on gov't site) per person and they only allow $89 for the services billed, and even after the deductible is met, they would only cover 90% of what they "allow", not what the dentist charges. It is all a lot of lies and deceit with this company. Very poor coverage and very poor foreign customer service, barely speak English.


William W
2/2/2017
I used to have another dental insurance, but due to the company I work for being cheap, they switched to Guardian Dental. I was in the process of getting dentures, but due to the switch my dentist had to resubmit the claim and Guardian refused to cover it. They took a high out-of-pocket cost and turned it into an astronomical out-of-pocket cost, one that I cannot afford. Guardian sucks. They are quite willing to take money out of my paycheck each week, but they give you nothing for it.


Annette C
1/25/2017
This company gives no service whatsoever. I signed up in October, says I have benefits, but there is a waiting period on major work for 12 months and minor work 6 months. They tell you different information each time to talk to someone. Now they are saying I signed up late which is impossible because the company I work for only has a certain period for us to sign up for this benefit. I will never use this insurance company again. PEOPLE DON'T DO IT. They are rude, do not try to help in any way whatsoever, this is just a company who wants money. Don't care about people or their needs or problems. I had a filling fall out and it's deep to the nerve and there is an abscess. My... Read More


Blair D
1/9/2017
I tried one year of insurance with Guardian Dental Insurance through Obamacare. My doctor was "alright" but did not perform x-rays both times I came to visit. The cost would be the same if you walked into most dental offices without insurance. Nothing fancy about the doctor's office either. You must stand up and walk to a sink to spit. When I mentioned that I didn't receive x-rays on either trip (which are included with their insurance) from the doctor, they really didn't care. Even if I made a complaint, nothing would be done anyway, their representative said. Ultimately, it got back to the doctor. He called me up and left a message saying he didn't take x-rays on the second visit either... Read More


D
Diana
12/12/2016
The only good thing for this company is that they cover the basic cleaning...you have to pay for the flouride, night guard and for implants; They cover a very low % it


Ryan H
10/31/2016
very misleading product information and little to no member support.


H
HollyL
9/1/2016
I have had more trouble with this insurance. I have gone to the same place for dental services for four years. Several times during this time when we go, we have been told that we no longer have coverage with our dentist because our service provider has been switched. We have never been advised of this except when we go to an appointment with the same dentist and insurance, and suddenly, we have no coverage again and have to have it switched back. The lack of communication with this company is ridiculous. Also, my son was dropped when he turned 19, and we found out because we went to an appointment and were told he has no coverage as of a month earlier. I asked the person on the phone... Read More


R
Rebecca I
7/2/2016
This company has been a nightmare from the beginning. They assigned me to a dentist that had a terrible reputation and who didn't answer their phone. When I tried to switch my provider because of a dental emergency and I couldn't get in touch with the dentist they assigned me, they wanted me to wait a month. Then they had to have the dentist send a letter to them and when I called to confirm that they received it, they said they had no way to know if it was received. Altogether, I spent 6-7 hours on the phone with them over the course of 3 weeks in order to address my EMERGENCY. I had an infection in my tooth and eventually just went to urgent care for antibiotics. Then today (7/2), I get... Read More


Q
Quinton L
6/28/2016
I had a crown done on a tooth that had heavy trauma damage when I was 8 years old. I then got a letter stating Guardian wouldn't cover because it was not needed. I have been to 6 different dentists in the past 20 years and they all said I would have to replace the tooth as soon as it started discoloring. I noticed some discoloration so I had it replaced and now Guardian does not want to pay the claim. I asked who the dentist was and they told me they use Licensed Independent Consultants and mine was named Dr, Todd Weller. I will obviously be reporting him to the Dental board once I get an email back for which state he is located in.



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