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Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)
159 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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159 Customer Comments & Reviews

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S
Sally G
6/21/2016
DON'T DO IT I was given information over the phone that a waiting period of 30 days would be sufficient for oral surgery. I joined, waited 30 days, made my appointments, had the procedure done, and was denied coverage because "the policy didn't cover major work for 6 months, or 12 months" ( hard to say what she really meant for this procedure). I VERY SPECIFICALLY ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN IF 30 DAYS WAS SUFFICIENT. Now I am responsible for lots of money. Guardian was my dental insurance when I worked, and when I joined again as an individual they kept kicking back my regular dentist bills as "no longer a member" IF I COULD WRITE THIS REVIEW 100 TIMES IT WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH.


A
Alyssa F
6/1/2016
I pay for a premium plan every week through my employer. I've used Guardian once for a cleaning, dealing with the in network provider was great experience and I didn't have to pay anything. Everything was great until one day I called in to see which cosmetic procedures were covered by request of my dentist. The lady spoke with a foreign accent that I could hardly understand and she kept repeating that braces are only covered for children up to 19. I said ma'am I'm asking about cosmetics, after telling me twice that cosmetics are not covered i said so crowns and teeth whitening are not covered? She said again, cosmetics aren't covered. I know this isn't true because I scheduled an... Read More


B
Bobby B
3/16/2016
I have Guardian Anytime dental insurance. Went to one of their listed providers today Mid West dental in Mt. Vernon MO. Was quoted $6,000 for a upper denture and lower partial. They want 4 grand from me and a little less than 2 grand from the insurance company. What's the point of having insurance if it covers so little? I have the HIGHEST available plan for my employers group.


B
B C
3/1/2016
This company offers some coverage at a reasonable price... However should you need to contact them... the customer service is god awful and the billing is a nightmare... Getting information on this billing is even worse.... Hope you like talking to a phone system which hangs up on you more than routing you.


L
Linda H
1/15/2016
Guardian paid only $331.00 and left me paying $728.00 on a porcelain crown, with no discount...... Not a good dental insurance.


L
Lance L
10/13/2015
A nightmare!!!! Purchased through the marketplace, it's been one disaster after another. RUN! the other way


E
Ellice L
9/8/2015
Despite all the other reviews, I'm raising a frustrating problem I've had with Guardian. When my husband needed a couple of implants, I added him to my dental coverage to help offset the expenses after discussing the benefits with both Guardian and our dental provider. Both acknowledged that the procedure would be covered. To prepare for the procedure which we planned for during the first month of his new insurance coverage, my husband had the bad tooth extracted the prior month. Guess what? There's a little-known "missing tooth clause" that apparently gives Guardian an out for covering the implant if the tooth was missing prior to the coverage period. Neither the dental provider (nor... Read More


R
Ricardo R
7/7/2015
Very bad, you get a huge list of dentists working in the area of orthodontics but when you start to call to make an appointment allthe dentists told me that no longer work with Guardian because they have had many problems with the company. Don't recommend it


M
Michele B
2/21/2015
I have been trying for 2 months to set up a primary care dentist in order to start receiving dental care. When I first looked into the plan there were multiple dentists in my area. Now when I search using Guardian's website it says there is no one in my area. I have called their customer service number at least 6 times and am always forced to leave a message and no one has every returned my call. I have also tried emailing them and no one has returned my emails. In addition, they automatically bill my credit card for the premium every month and there is no way to stop the automatic payment. I have been paying for coverage that I really am not receiving since I can't see a dentist yet. This... Read More



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