Allstate Benefits Partners with Guardian to Offer Group PPO Dental Product [Health & Beauty Close – Up]

Allstate Benefits, a provider of employee benefits, and The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, a mutual life insurer, have announced an agreement to provide a group PPO dental product.

In a release, the companies said that Allstate Benefits expects to begin offering DentalGuard, Guardian's group PPO dental plan, to employers starting in July 2012.

This agreement expands Allstate Benefits' capabilities by providing planholders with access to Guardian's leading dental network of more than 79,000 dentists at over 181,000 locations.

"Allstate Benefits is pleased to team up with Guardian to deliver a new option to planholders that complements our already wide- ranging product portfolio," said Jim Baum, senior vice president, group operations at Allstate Benefits. "Guardian is a name that customers know they can trust, which is important to us."

According to the companies, the agreement covers several plan options, including value plans, which can save employers an average of 15 percent to 20 percent compared to a typical PPO dental plan, and network access plans, for employers that require provider choice. An orthodontia benefit is optional on all plans. The DentalGuard plan also will provide Guardian's Preventive Advantage, which does not deduct the dollars spent on preventive care services from the annual maximum benefit, providing more insurance against unpredictable, higher-cost dental needs.

"This arrangement gives Allstate Benefits customers access to Guardian's leading dental benefits, efficient claims payment process, and extensive network of dentists, ensuring not only quality of care but the means to get it," said Chris Swanker, Guardian Vice President of Worksite and Specialty Markets.

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