Guardian
1.0
2.6
Overall Score
Author: Kaitlyn Short
LAST UPDATED: April 15th, 2025
Guardian® began as a life insurance company over 155 years ago. Guardian® works to make insurance accessible to everyone, and over the years has served over 20 million Americans.
Guardian® offers excellent dental insurance options with good coverage. You can find coverage for dental implants and child orthodontic treatment through Guardian®. It also has a superior financial rating from A.M. Best, which signals financial strength and Guardian®'s ability to meet its financial obligations when customers file a claim.
Customer Review: Angelina Hamilton from Jackson, Mississippi
"My company switched to this year and I went to the dentist yesterday and found out they cover more than my previous insurance did. No deductible for my cleanings! And it’s affordable!"
The Good
- Excellent Plan Options for Individuals
- Dental Benefits Through Employers
- Additional Insurance Available
Excellent Plans for Individuals
Guardian® offers Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) and Preferred Provider Organization.
Most insurance plans cover preventive care, like cleanings and dental check-ups. Coverage levels for diagnosis and restorative treatment (e.g. a root canal, filling, crown) varies by dental insurance plan. Plans typically don't cover cosmetic dentistry or orthodontics.
The PPO dental insurance plans have provider networks. However, plan members still have the same treatment covered if they visit an out-of-network dentist. The rates are usually higher for out-of-network dental care, even for preventive treatment. However, the flexibility is an advantage of PPO insurance.
Guardian® also offers Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) plans. The Dental HMO has a network of dental providers. It's easy to find an in-network provider on Guardian®'s website. For coverage, plan members must receive care from a Guardian dentist. The network flexibility is how PPO and HMO plans differ.
Dental Benefit Options Through Employers
Guardian® works with employers to create benefits packages for employees. For more details on dental plan options, you'll need to reach out to the company directly.
In addition to dental insurance coverage, employers may also be able to work with Guardian ® to offer vision, life, supplemental health, and disability insurance in their benefits package.
Additional Insurance Available
Independent buyers can purchase other kinds of insurance through Guardian®:
- Vision Insurance
- Accident Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Cancer Insurance
- Hospital Indemnity Insurance
These are great additional offerings. Some insurance providers offer more kinds of insurance, like health insurance. Others focus primarily on dental insurance.
The Bad
- Limited Customer Insight
- Area Variability
- Waiting Periods
- Dental Discount Plans May Not Be Available
- Must Provide Contact Information to See Options
Limited Customer Insight
Best Company has not received many reviews for Guardian®. General conclusions about the customer experience are not currently available.
Area Variability
Guardian®’s insurance policy offerings may vary depending on the area you live in. However, it is easy to view your insurance coverage options on the company’s website after entering your zip code.
Waiting Periods
Although there isn't usually a waiting period for preventive care, it's common for dental insurance plans to have a waiting period for restorative dental procedures like fillings and other major dental work. Some dental insurance companies do not have waiting periods. As you review Guardian®'s dental plans, check to see if there are waiting periods for some dental work and whether or not the periods can be waived.
Dental Discount Plans May Not Be Available
If you're looking for a dental discount plan instead of insurance, you may not be able to find plans from Guardian®.
While the website does not include any FAQs on dental discount plans, you won't know for sure until you provide your zip code and email address to view options and pricing in your area.
Dental discount plans are sometimes called dental savings plans. These plans are not insurance. Instead, they offer set discounts on dental services when you visit participating dentists.
Must Provide Contact Information to See Options
Before Guardian®'s site shows you dental insurance plans in your area, you must provide your zip code, number of people covered, your age range, and email address.
If you're still in the research stages, it can be frustrating to provide an email address so that Guardian® can email you quotes on plans.
The Bottom Line
Dental treatment can be expensive and good oral health affects your overall health. Dental insurance helps by offering access to pre-negotiated discounts and cost-sharing. Regular preventive care like routine cleanings can help you avoid more expensive major services like root canals or bridges.
While Guardian® may not have the same number of dental insurance policies as some of its competitor dental insurance providers, it has several great options for dental plans. Guardian® provides good dental coverage. It's also convenient that the company offers other kinds of insurances, like vision insurance. Those interested in purchasing dental and vision insurance can find both products through Guardian®.
Finding a dentist in Guardian®'s dental network is a simple online process. Visiting a participating dentist helps you maximize your plan's dental savings. Before you buy a plan, you can check whether or not your current dental provider is included in Guardian®'s network.
Before choosing Guardian® as your insurance provider, be sure to check the website for zip code-specific cost and plan options. Consider the out-of-pocket expenses, annual deductible, annual benefit maximum, premiums, and coverage offered. Evaluate these features in terms of your budget and dental work or procedures you may need.
Customers should also pay attention to the waiting periods. If a you don't want to deal with waiting periods, choosing a plan from Guardian® may not be the best option.
Although more customer reviews are necessary for a full recommendation, Guardian® is a good dental insurance company to consider if its dental insurance plans offer the coverage you need.
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Tracy B.
Absolutely terrible company. Getting them to actually pay claims beyond basic cleaning and x-rays is nearly impossible. Their communication is completely subpar. I cancelled my policy as of 12/31/24 and they continue to send me bills stating my account is past due for January - April 2025 premiums in spite of repeated phone calls and letters to the company. I just filed a complaint with the BBB. Maybe that will help resolve the issue. I am at my wit's end with this company!
1 week ago
Narda Townsend
If there was a cero to rate this insurance company I would certainly use it to rate Guardian. The company went from being one the great ones to becoming the job for third world countries who are starving for jobs and have very little knowledge of the English language, extremely rude or simply don't care attitude. I work in a busy Orthodontist practice where our questions for ortho are simple and straight forward for the same 4 or 5 codes we use, the most important part for us and to ensure the patient is covered, exclusions and limitations are clear for us so that our patients will understand them and treatment can move forward. Trying to get these questions answered seems a huge task for any of the many overseas employees hired by Guardian, it takes forever to talk to someone and once you do reach a live breathing human, you must ask a question and then be placed on hold to get an answer and the same for every single additional question, and this so they can get the answer for us. I don't understand how Guardian is still in business with less then competent employees that don't give a hoot about their job and have no earthly idea what customer service is led along the meaning of Dentistry and its procedures. Let me add a little more, we have been hanged up on, given the wrong information, and have dealt with less than respectful individuals with limited education.
2 months ago
Lena
DO NOT USE GUARDIAN. Horrible insurance company. save your money! if you want basic cleaning and checkup to be paid for then your good other than that it will not cover anything else. They will not speak to you on the phone like an adult. Just Unbelievable, you cannot make this up.
1 month ago
Jonah Martin
These are the trashiest people I've ever dealt with in my entire life. I kid you not!
I got hung up on in my face three times today by three different agents. One foreigner. And two were clear speaking American females. When I advised I wanted to cancel they sarcastically remarked that there was a $119.00 cancellation fee. Please stay away from these vermin. They just suck!!
2 months ago
Lena Krisan
Not sure where these reviews are coming from! Up until 2 years ago, Guardian used customer service reps who spoke English and was easy to access. The EOBs were clear and easy to understand with the dentists' name and date of service and procedure written out in plan English. Trying to save money/make more money, Guardian has offshored and the people don't seem to have proper technology to look things up, find claims, etc. Also, difficult to get a hold of someone when we call. Talking to people who don't speak English well is like pulling teeth since they keep repeating same nonsense when I had a totally different question. Now the EOB doesn't always arrive and the website isn't always working. Also, EOBs are missing the dentist name and procedure explanation. When I called to ask the rep some questions the automated system couldn't find me, the rep couldn't find me until I provided an old claim number! Then Guardian barely covers for services and only pay the dentist a much lower price so we end up paying much more than the 50% we are supposed to be responsible for. We have a good plan through employer - $2500/yr and with a carryover account for unused $$ up to $1500 a year, however, most of the services, such as crowns, fillings are not covered at the reasonable going rate. I had a 28-yr old 4-teeth bridge fail and they wanted old records before they would cover anything! Finally after calling several times and talking to people who don't understand English we had only some of it covered! They still refuse to part with the $1500 carryover account. Is Guardian good coverage? Maybe... but their customer service is non-existent and foreigners who don't understand service and quote from a playbook... If you have the choice - STAY AWAY! My husband just moved to Aetna Medicare Advantage and dental PPO since out dentist suggested that. I am still stuck with Guardian!
5 months ago
gretchen nash
Guardian is a insurance scam, they basically cover basic fillings and cleaning. They will deny your claims in most cases, and even with several artifacts of proof that the procedures (like crowns) are medically necessary, they will still find a way to deny your claim. DO NOT USE GUARDIAN.
3 months ago
Justin PM
Absolute trash. I have their $3500 PPO policy and if all you want is 2 basic cleanings and the exam covered, you're good. But God forbid you need actual treatments to keep your teeth intact. Deep cleaning? Forget it. Crowns? Forget it. More Xrays? Forget it. They love to deny claims left and right despite two dentists telling them that the procedures are required, I do have bone loss and must have a deep cleaning.
Word to the wise - ensure your dentist gets pre authorisation before performing any procedures. They will likely deny you, even after they initially approve it but at least you won't be left with a bill you didnt expect.
AVOID THIS SCAM INSURANCE COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE.
Cigna was much, much better.
7 months ago
Mannering Dental
I have been managing dental practices in the Chicagoland area for more than 33 years. Guardian has denied more claims for crown restorations and "deep cleanings" (aka periodontal scaling & root planing) than any other carrier I have ever dealt with. It appears that they have a standard policy of denying the former unless a tooth has had root canal therapy or upwards of 80% or more of the tooth structure is gone. And they will always deny claims for the latter procedure unless a patient's teeth are ready to fall out. Their requirements for deep cleanings to be covered are ridiculously stringent and outdated; their denials always violate the current norms of the American Academy of Periodontology. I have worked for practices where I have been brought on almost exclusively to appeal Guardian claim denials. Additionally, their response to my requests for claim review usually consist of a copy of the original EOB with an additional disclaimer that is always the same pro forma declaration that repeats the original denial reason with no other reasoning for their decision being provided. It is only when I have followed up these appeal denials with a formal complaint to state insurance regulators or involve the sponsoring employer's plan administrators that I have received a more comprehensive document delineating in detail why their alleged "dental consultant" upheld the decision to not pay benefits for legitimately rendered dental treatment. Guardian denies procedures that 99% of all other dental insurance carriers will cover. And this has been the situation for the more than 3 decades I have been submitting dental claims. This carrier is incorrigible, unethical and unrepentantly malfeasant in how they refuse to pay out benefits that their subscribers and we dental providers are rightfully owed.
8 months ago
Shane Faherty
Very deceitful company!! In the plan details it says nothing about only paying 80% of the average for the cost in the area for out of network providers. So it makes it seem like there is no difference between out of network and in network. So after getting a filling done they only paid $123 for a $350 charge. They explained that $123 was 80% of the average filling cost in my area. I would have been better off not having insurance. Wont be renewing next year!
6 months ago
Natalie McCandless
Guardian insurance has been extremely difficult when it comes to coverage. Even though my insurance plan states that coverage for crowns is 60% they are denying payment on the grounds that "the tooth is not decayed enough" I am no dentist but a "decayed" tooth should not get a crown but more likely get pulled on account of infection! Cracked teeth (of which mine is) should get crowns and they are refusing to pay. I am not happy with this insurance and their weaseling their way out of payment. They have been contacted several times regarding the situation and I get the same song and dance.
I would definitely NOT reccomend
Natalie
11 months ago
K Wighton
I had Guardian Dental insurance through my work and each paycheck deducted approximately $34.00. That's around $812.00 from each employee every year. For over 2 years we avoided any dental visits because of Covid concerns and when I finally had to see a dentist to replace a crown Guardian kept losing my claim and dragging it out so I had to pay totally out of pocket to have approximately $900.00 of dental work. That was 15 months ago. I re-filed my very legitimate claim and finally today I hear that I will receive a reimbursement of $433.00. The rest my responsibility they said. So for my paychecks have been drained of over $3000.00 in dental insurance over a period of 4 years and this shady rip-off company won't cover the full cost of replacing a crown because it is a pre-existing condition. I'm an adult. All of my teeth are pre-existing. Dental insurance is a total waste of money. It's probably a waste of money even from an honest company. Just set aside a little every paycheck for a future dental appointment. Don't let these con artists did into your paycheck.
11 months ago
Iam TheLaw
Horrible horrible horrible insurance. How do you send a denial to pay months after you already approved it? Lazy disorganized pathetic excuse. They are a scam 100% and should be held liable for fraud.
5 months ago
Anthony DeCaro
Total scam - They offer 100% coverage for in network or out of network providers for cleaning, x-rays, etc.
Went to a pre appoved in-network provider and they are only offering to cover $78.00 of the total bill claiming that it is out of network. All of the reps just read the same thing off of a piece of paper.
6 months ago
Michael Gohlke (DJ GoldKey)
How is it possible that these health care companies have all this money, and we still get the worst service possible? I asked them to set up auto pay, because their system is so bad, the payment reminders do not always get sent through. So i had my coverage lapse on accident, and now I have to manually pay every month now, even though i explicitly asked these morons to do auto pay *multiple times* lmao. I sincerely cannot wait for these big health companies to get gutted. I am so tired of this.
10 months ago Edited July 23, 2024
Nick Albert
I've been with them 2years through the market place. I've set up auto pay a couple of times. Seems to always be and issue. You get these cancelation messages from their customer service computer. Looks to be one receives a negotiated dental price But that's where it ends, with Zero coverage for anything considered major! You're on your own. I told them to stick it sideways, couldn't care less what they do with my membership at this point. They really show no interest in dealing with anybody All voice recordings and antiquated dead ends. Im going to workout a direct dealing with my dentist without this cocomeme excuse of insurance.
1 year ago
Douglas S Philadelphia, PA
My dentist filed a claim on my behalf. Guardian seemed to drag their feet processing the claim and they're saying the mailed. I haven't received it so I tried to call, and after trying to navigate the maze of their voice prompts (designed to make you just give up) I was supposed to be transferred to an 'agent'. Instead, they just disconnected the line.
I logged into chat and got some responses - I need to wait 30 days and if I don't get the check, I can write them back and they'll see what they want to do.
Absolutely terrible customer service - if you need help, have a very low bar so you won't be disappointed.
1 year ago
L. D.
This is the worst dental insurance I have ever had. All of the negative reviews here completely reflect the experiences I have had with Guardian. I saw one of Guardian’s in-network dentists in November of 2023 and they have still not responded to my preauthorization request for crowns. It is now January 16th of 2024. They have told me on 4 different occasions that they were “making a note on my account” about my concerns. Today they claimed to have no records of me calling. They told me they had not even looked at my claim or requested more information until January 4th of 2024. My dentist sent more documents on January 5th and Guardian told me they received it. They said they had ANOTHER 12 days to make a decision. I called 12 days later and they completely changed the story. Now they claim that they never received the information from my dentist at all. These people are liars, and we are changing coverage.
1 year ago
Jocelyn | Polished Chicago DDS Chicago, IL
Zero Stars. I work at a dental office as an admin and this is THE WORST insurance that we have to deal with. We are working on getting out of network with them. Reps are rude and mysteriously disconnect every call. Their "clinical consultants" are traitorous swindlers to the practice of medicine. Countless deep cleanings and crowns are denied by them every quarter. We even had a root canal patient's crown denied after the root canal was completed under the same plan. And the constant careless mistakes made by who/whatever is processing their claims is truly shocking. Had at least 3 regular cleanings last year denied by Guardian because *they* processed it with the wrong details, despite the information on the actual claim. We warn all our patients not to get a Guardian plan, so I am now extending the courtesy to anyone else who is searching for plans. Get Cigna, BCBS, MetLife, etc. Avoid Guardian at all costs. They won't be in business much longer if they keep treating their dentists and subscribers this way anyway.
1 year ago
Review Source
Deanie Tuscola, TX
Went to the dentist on August 15, 2023 for a routine exam/cleaning. I have a primary insurance and a secondary insurance through Guardian. They refuse to pay my claim and I consistently get the run around that they need an EOB - which I have already sent to them as well as the dentist office. Next they needed to know the policy specifics on my primary insurance which I also provided to them four times. They denied the claim that they didn't have that information. I called them and they told me they could not take that information over the phone that it had to come from the dentist office. They told the dentist office that information had to come directly from the policy holder. It is just one stall tactic after stall tactic to NOT pay for any claim. I have now sent the information to them via certified mail and a copy of all correspondence to the insurance commissioner's office for the state of Texas. They claim to have never received any correspondence so now I will force them to sign for it! I notice they never have any problems getting their premiums - that's the name of the game - pocket the money and screw over the policy holder!
1 year ago
Bruce Raven Austin, TX
I had a piece of a tooth break off. I went to my dentist and they told me the tooth was also cracked and that I would need a crown. They showed me the x-ray and a picture of the tooth, clearly showing the fracture. The dentist submitted to Guardian and the claim was denied, saying there was insufficient evidence. The Dentist office appealed the claim and included the photos of the tooth clearly showing the crack. Guardian again denied the claim. I called their customer line and was told the only option was to have the dentist submit another appeal. I asked to speak to their consultant who denied the claim and they said that was not possible. It is not fair to the dentists office to waste more of their time to resubmit the same evidence that clearly shows the crack. This was my first claim with Guardian after having worked at other companies with different dental insurance providers. I have never had a claim appeal denied. If you have any choice, Do not use Guardian!
1 year ago
Mary Lau-Thefaine
I visited 2 of their so called providers this week to try to take advantage of my benefit this year and to receive at least a cleaning. First provider demanded a $100 copay which was not correct for in network. Second provider was recommended by Guardian but when I got there at 4 and after a half an hour of X-rays with antiquated equipment and being told my out of pocket would be $3600, doctor told me I would have to return another day to receive a cleaning and that Guardian would not cover even 1 cent of the $88 cleaning fee. Total waste of my time and I’m exceptionally disappointed by the plan that provider stated has very low and slow reimbursement rates. I just flushed a year of premiums down the can.
1 year ago
Jill Kuhn Los Angeles, CA
Absolutely terrible dental insurance. They deny every claim and the amount the pay dentists for regular preventive maintenance is so low you will always have to pay additional fees. I needed a crown for a huge crack across a molar. They denied it and said the tooth wasn't decayed enough and the crack could be fixed with a filling. If my dentist had drilled into that tooth to fill it, it would have cracked open and then I would have needed an implant--and Guardian would have refused to pay for that! Employers, don't saddle your employees with this horrible provider. Individuals, pay a bit more and get a provider who will provide coverage, like Blue Shield.
1 year ago
desiree keane The Bronx, NY
If only zero stars were possible! To make a long story short, I was told by the guardian rep that came to our employment, by my HR rep, by 2 different representatives i spoke with on the phone that Invisalign is covered, that i have a copay of 2800. This is a flat out lie. After 16 phonecalls back and forth with them and my orthodontist, They do not cover Invisalign.! If i call right now again ans ask they will tell me its covered, thats theres no age limit and i dont need pre-auth. Lies. It is not covered and i changed my insurance because i was told it is covered, had to switch my primary dentist and waited the necessary year guardian claims is needed to be eligible for aligners. I could gave been paying the same price w my old dentist and started treatment a year ago. This is dusgusting.
1 year ago
D Conifer, CO
Guardian is the absolute worst! Not only have I used their insurance in the past, but I also work with insurance companies for a group of dental offices. I can truthfully say that not one person in our financial department wants to work with Guardian. The benefits are almost always terrible, there is high out-of-pocket costs for most procedures, their provider website never works, the automated phone system is horrendous, but the worst part of Guardian is their customer service. They are rude, unhelpful, rarely have useful information, struggle to answer basic questions, hang up when they don't know the answers, and are all around useless and infuriating to deal with. Please, do yourself and your medical professionals a favor and find a different company!
1 year ago
Jim Latta El Segundo, CA
Guardian Dental insurance is absolutely terrible. Every claim we have whether it’s a routine cleaning or something more involved is a total hassle. I had a routine cleaning that they wouldn’t pay for because they said I had one a tooth cleaning a month ago on in New York. After hours on the phone phone they finally acknowledged that my son in New York had the cleaning and not me and it was billed incorrectly, not me. Before that appointment,, I had had another routine cleaning that wasn’t covered, so after hours on the phone I had them call the dentist and email them and me proof of coverage. Strange how they process my payment without any problem? Just this week they refused to pay a claim for my wife’s crown work. They said that after 14 years of having their insurance I needed to wait twelve months for and major work to be covered. I had the same problem last year, yet they had no record of our conversation or emails. After talking to seven different customer service people over three days and 5.5 hours on the phone they said that was incorrect. The reason they won’t pay for the crown is because they only pay for crowns on the same tooth every 10 years and her tooth had a crown seven years ago. If you want to be totally aggravated and frustrated then sign up for Guardian’s highest most expensive Diamond program.!
1 year ago
David Dafoe Louisville, KY
I own the company that offers Guardian Dental Plan in our benefit package. We now realize this is the WORST choice ever! They have done everything possible to deny coverage for me and my spouse. They have no shame. When I called and FINALLY got a live person she instructed me to read the fine print. I could not believe it and I got no real explanation for their lack of coverage during the call. I feel bad because I offer this for my employees. My dentist and my spouse's dentist told us that this was the absolute WORST dental insurance. Stay away from this terrible company - they are one step above organized scammers.
1 year ago
A White South Bend, IN
I have been a customer for four years. Two dental visits per year at four years makes eight visits. I have never filed a claim in which I haven't had to chat online or call with an issue. NOT ONCE. This time was the winner. My claim was denied because they filed it under my husband's name and a non existent account. There is no account under my husband, and it's been mine the entire four years. Every time I talk to someone they say "we guarantee this will never happen again." I even sent a note with my plan and ID number and indicated that I always have an issue. They acknowledged they got that note. I don't even have enough words for how a company can operate like this. They also have no words for how they can operate like this other than, "sorry, it won't happen again". Except it will. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
1 year ago
Mono Poly
-very difficult to speak to a human
-they don’t cover all of the things most other dental insurances cover. I needed an implant + crown. They don’t cover the abutment/impression needed to create the crown. Can’t get a crown without this step, so go figure.
And beware missing tooth clauses.
-their communication is non-existent. I submitted various docs for an appeal and there is no feedback process to let you know they received the docs. You’re left guessing. And see the first bullet point about speaking to a real human.
-their appeal portal on their website never worked. I submitted 3 times, got an automated receipt saying it had been submitted m, and three times no one had any record of it being submitted when I called to check. I ended up faxing and sending the appeal docs by certified mail.
-I was reimbursed some money and they didn’t even communicate this to me. I found out days later they’d sent the check to my dentist.
Only positive - the customer service people I reached over chat and the one time I managed to get someone on the phone were respectful and for the most part knowledgeable.
They are free through my employer but I would rather pay a monthly fee and have better service and peace of mind.
1 year ago
Hannah M.
I was told told by my dental provider that I needed a specific number for them to use my insurance, I assumed this would be one of the numbers I received on my monthly check but it is not, it is apparently on their ID cards but I have NEVER received a card, thought it was a fluke the first year, but my second year I also didn't receive anything. I have also tried logging in online, but you have to have the aforementioned number to open your account. It is an infinite loop of borderline fraudulent behavior that ultimately makes their services un-usable. I opted to just let my coverage lapse, however I now have a dental emergency and any bit would help, I am still in the grace period so I tried to call the number they said I could call to reinstate my plan but they won't recognize my ID number. Completely outrageous and infuriating. Dental insurance is bad enough as it is, DO NOT use this company.
2 years ago
R Harrison Duchesne, UT
Guardian was the worst dental insurance experience I've ever had. Purchased a policy through the marketplace and they never paid out for anything. If you try to get a hold of a real person, good luck. I returned to my dentist today for my 6 mos cleaning and I had to pay $1K for past work that Guardian found various reasons for rejecting EVERY. SINGLE. CLAIM.... The last time my dental office billed it out to Guardian they told my dentist they would only pay amalgam fillings- not composite so my claims were all being denied. The time before that they said they would only pay Occlusal fillings not Lingual. What a scam company!
2 years ago
julie roberts
Guardian dentals customer service is abysmal. I emailed customer service asking them to cancel my service before the next billing period, and got an auto reply that they’d handle my request in 2-4 business days. By business day 6, I decided to just pick up the phone. The bot on the line couldn’t understand I was saying DENTAL not CANCER and so I could not get on the line with anyone. I sent out another email requesting cancellation which also got no reply within 2-4 days. The premium was taken out of my acct in this time period. I emailed a third time and finally someone replied. No one has confirmed my coverage is canceled yet and no refund.
2 years ago
Stephanie Lee Sun Prairie, WI
Horrible customer service -- I wasn't getting my full benefits that I paid for and had to call in multiple times to try to talk to someone who could explain to me why. Their website is useless, you can't even find your EOBs or claims on the website. Their phone automation system is terrible, it never understands what you're saying so it takes at least 10-15 minutes each time just to get routed to the right place. And then once you finally get someone on the phone they all know nothing and have to transfer you back and forth. The website is frequently down, on their end as well, so you have to constantly be put on hold while they wait for the system to come back up again. If I had a choice I would NEVER use them for insurance -- go with literally anyone else.
2 years ago
Kyle Martin
Guardian has horrible customer service. They refuse to abide by their own terms and conditions of their product. I filed a claim since they only covered 50 percent of preventative care (they claim they cover 100 percent) but since the dentist charged more then they thought it should cost they claimed to cover 100 percent of a contracted rate. I have laced multiple appeals and the letters come back with an insulting response where no evidence is placed on why they should not cover the claim, but an introduction a conclusion statement about not covering any additional claims and a "This section is left in error" statement. They literally sent me a fill in the blank denial letter TWICE. I would avoid them if possible.
2 years ago
OC Taos, NM
Be careful of this company and check your statement after you cancel their plan. They kept charging me after I changed my dental plan for the new year through healthcare marketplace. Guardian wouldn't refund my money, were rude, and blamed healthcare marketplace for not informing them. I called healthcare marketplace and they said it was canceled and they did inform them. Guardian then only refunded HALF of my money. I called Guardian to refund the rest and they were very rude again! So I called healthcare marketplace and they stepped in, got Guardian to refund the money owed as well as gave me the number for Texas Dept of Insurance to file a complaint as they were astonished how difficult and rude Guardian Dental was. Never again.
2 years ago
Matt Petaluma, CA
Swindlers, cheats, and con artists. You should know when they say they'll cover something "100%", they actually mean "100% of whatever we think we should pay", which routinely means less than half of what the procedure actually costs. Literally every claim I've ever filed with them, they've always underpaid the percentage that my plan supposedly promises to cover.
I called them on the phone to get an explanation on how they decide how much to pay, and why they are paying less than what my plan says it covers. And they just completely stonewalled me, giving the same canned response over and over, saying "that's what we've determined is the fair value for that procedure in that area", and they refuse to explain who determined that. Or how they determined that, or when. Or to let you talk to any one else who might know the answers to those questions.
And it's funny how their "fair value" is always significantly less than what every doctor and dentist is actually charging in the area. That doesn't seem very "fair" to me.
How is this legal?
2 years ago Edited August 18, 2023
Danny Choi Syracuse, NY
Called to talk about claims. They have the call center setup to make you frustrated. The robo part in the beginning where you have to answer questions never works correctly, and then after awhile it gets you to real person. The first time i called i got hanged up on. After asking for someone else to help me. I called again this time i got someone who actually help me. But the way they have the plan written on their website is hard to tell if you are covered or not so i got confused. Not to mention why is it so hard if i have. the ADA codes to check if my plan is covered. Literally all they had to do is allow me to search by that code to figure it out but they don't. This company is the worst i have ever dealt with.
2 years ago
Deb Warrior, AL
I use to think their dental was wonderful but no longer. It is secondary insurance and my dentist office calls to verify payments on procedures with my MetLife and then Guardian. Between the two they were to pay in full my two crowns that were side by side. MetLife gave done flack but did pay there half. Now for almost 3 mtgs trying to get Guardian to pay their half. We (my dentist and I) have sent multiple 6 or more MetLife EOBs to Guardian. Then when they finally admit they received one, they accused us of altering the EOB which has infuriated me since I took a snap shot of the EOB from MetLife’s website. Since Covid shut everything down Guardian is HORRIBLE
2 years ago
Roxanne Cyr San Carlos, CA
Guardian Dental insurance should not be called "insurance". They say they cover dental cleanings (or any dental procedure) but what they mean is they take the cost of the cleaning (or procedure) then deny 1/2 of it saying the cost is too high, then base what they will cover on 1/2 the cost. It's irrelevant if the cost of the dental procedure is fair, they deny 1/2 no matter what because Guardian considers all charges to be exorbitant. Unfortunately this is the only choice my employer gives us. If you have any other choice, I suggest you take the other choice. I'm not sure how the people at Guardian Dental sleep at night but I'm sure they're laughing all the way to the bank!
2 years ago
Duane Crum Commerce City, CO
I am writing today completely appalled at the lack of Customer Experience I have received from Guardian I received a bill from my Dentist for $420, they told me Guardian wouldn't cover the cost of the exam or the cleaning because my family had already been seen in the last 6 months. I scheduled an appointment a few weeks too early to accommodate my work schedule and now I am being punished by the insurance company I pay premiums to every month. I can't put into words how predatory and disgusting the service I have received from Guardian. In a pandemic, when inflation is at an all-time high and we are trying to do everything we can to survive I made an appointment a few weeks early so I could work it around my work schedule and you are telling me there is nothing you can do as a company? I don't abuse the system, I pay my premiums, I pay my taxes, I do everything the way I am supposed to in life and now my greedy insurance company is denying coverage because I scheduled an appointment a few weeks too early. This is disgusting and appalling and I hope your shareholders can sleep at night knowing how much they are hurting regular people just trying to support their family and get by each month. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
2 years ago
mindy Harrison Arlington, VA
Guardian is the worst dental insurance co. I have ever had. They only covered $18 for X-rays and did not cover any crown work which was covered from past dental insurance companies. When I talked to my dentist about the challenges, they stated that they also have seen other customers not receiving coverage that was typically covered with other companies and prior to covid. They make it impossible to file a claim or appeal stating they never received the information when it was sent numerous times and with numerous methods (ie. on their website, mail, fax, email). I cancelled my insurance with guardian since they were not customer oriented and they did not cover any of the crown work. Disappointing and unethical.
2 years ago
Rena Winnsboro, LA
Enrolled my family through the marketplace, premiums were low for us which was great. But when we attempted to use them the first time (only time) it turned into a mess. I had never received any insurance cards with policy or group information. Called the company on the day of our appointment, was given group and ID #'s along with claim address for filing which I gave to our dentist office. That was October 2021. Over the next 6 months the claim has been denied at least 4 times stating I do not have an "employer sponsored policy" or that my "employer sponsored policy has been terminated", neither of which was ever true since I enrolled through the marketplace. In January 2022 our dentist office called me to inform me it had been denied again so I attempted to reach guardian again. This time though, each time I would work my way through the treacherous phone maze I would reach someone in support for their employer based insurance, would be told I had no policy and be redirected to call the exact phone number I had just called (and had called previously without issue) even after I explained that was the number I had called. After numerous phone calls, wait time and a couple of days (I had to take a mental break from the chaos) I finally reached someone who was kind enough to TRANSFER me to the correct department for marketplace policies . Reached another kind person there who stated she had no record of any claims on my policy and that they were most likely processed by the wrong department...but she gave me the correct filing information and mailing address. I then gave this to my dentist office and thought everything was fine until she called me last week to inform me she had received another denial similar to the previous ones. So today I was able to finally reach out to Guardian, and was told they have processed that claim just a few days ago...why did we receive a denial letter? Who knows. But I'm done. I no longer have this policy but if I did I would have terminated it right away. 6 months, numerous phone calls and headaches, I don't know how many claims filed for one little dental visit for my child. This is more than silly and Guardian needs to get their stuff together. It's just ridiculous how much time I had to spend to get this taken care of (and I don't totally trust it is but we will see.
3 years ago
Kelly Diaz Oklahoma City, OK
I regret not looking up reviews before signing up with them for my dental insurance. They've been a complete nightmare. I would leave no stars if I could. I did not receive an invoice from them like they're supposed to send for the first premium payment. When I called they claimed it had been mailed but I have informed delivery with USPS and there was never anything scheduled to be delivered from them. This is the first lie they told me. After making the first payment over the phone, I set up automatic payments online. They never drafted any of the scheduled payments and I was completely unaware they'd failed to do so until three months later when I received a letter telling me they'd cancelled my policy due to non-payment. When I called to ask what happened, they told me the payment was denied and they'd emailed me a notification of refused payment. I never received an email so when I got off the call with Guardian, I called and checked with my bank and I was told they'd never attempted to draft the payment. When I called back to ask why they'd never drafted the payment, they doubled-down claiming they tried but it had been refused. When I asked again why was I not notified about the alleged refused payment, they said they don't notify people and it was my fault for not checking whether the payment had gone through. I explained someone was lying because I'd been told in no uncertain terms the other person I spoke with swore an email had been sent (which they can check because all calls are recorded), they finally relented and told me they would reinstate my policy. I was told it would take 5-7 days and I would receive an email once it had been reinstated. Well, ten days later and no email, I tried logging back in to see and it was reinstated. What good it will do me considering all the complaints about them not paying I can't say but at least I've got something. TLDR - never, never, never again will I not do a deep dive on a company before signing up.
3 years ago
cmoore Oklahoma City, OK
Failed to send invoice in a timely manner but I was able to pay when I called to ask about why I hadn't received an invoice or my card. I set up automatic payments at the same time as making me first payment. They didn't notify me when they were having difficulty processing the subsequent automatic payments and I didn't find out until they sent a notice though the mail that they'd cancelled my policy. The notice was sent Mar. 6 but wasn't delivered until Mar. 22. One representative said they emailed me about the problem with the payment, another told me they didn't email me about it and that they don't notify customers when that happens. Representative said it was my fault for not checking whether the payment had gone through despite the fact the payment had gone through with no issues when I first set up the automatic payment. I regret signing up with them. Plans look great on paper but I should have read reviews of the company before signing up.
3 years ago
Steven White
You should avoid this company at all costs if you are looking for a quality dental insurance company as Guardian is not it. The refused to pay a claim for a crown on a tooth because their dental consultation felt that the "prognosis" for a successful restoration was not high. So they are basically calling the dentist that I have been going to for nearly 20 years as incompetent. An oh by the way, since they are so slow at processing the original claim and my appeal, the crown has been in place now for 6 months and is doing just fine. If you are the benefits coordinator for any company and you care about your employees, stay as far away from this company as you can! Your employees are not going to be satisfied with their poor service and them hiding behind excuses like the opinion of their "dental consultant"!
3 years ago
Meg Green Bedminster, NJ
Ive been covered by this company for less than a month and it has been nothing but problems.
-i paid for my first premium in mid november
-2 weeks into january i had 0 information— no insurance cards, no emails, nada.
-i call customer service, sit on hold for like 15 minutes and i ended up having to just try again later
-when i do try again later, i opt for them to call me back rather than sit on hold, i get a call and am immediately hung up on.
-i try again and sit on hold, get thru to someone who says theyll transfer me, and as soon as my call is transferred i am once again immediately hung up on
-FINALLY i get thru to someone, and sit on the phone with them for 10 minutes trying to figure out why i have no information and am told they cant find an account for me. She asks one more set of questions and miraculously finds it, but my ID number hasnt been generated yet. (Its been TWO MONTHS since i signed up, and we are 2 weeks into my plan)
-i ask to verify which email she has on file. To this day i still have 0 emails from this insurance company.
-finally, 3 days ago i get letters in the mail from them, including my (sad excuse for) insurance cards, and a bill (which i found out today i cant yet pay bc my account is ‘still being set up’)
-i made my online account yesterday and if i try to login on my phone it just brings me back to the home page.
-on top of all of this my deductible is not waived for cleanings.
I got this plan because when i reviewed my finances for this year i found that id have some extra income, and am paying 2.5x the amount i did last year for my bcbs family grins plan, if im paying this much more why do i not even have a full account set up almost a full month into my coverage? And why doesnt their website seem to work? Ridiculous, esp with the waiting periods i found out i have to deal with. A full YEAR i have to wait if i need major dental care? Im switching from them as soon as humanly possible. The worst experience with insurance ever.
3 years ago
Jake Philomath, OR
Like others here, I have been a victim of Guardian's obvious business plan which it to deny as many claims as possible and then cause endless fatigue for clients through a perpetual appeal process. The unreachable, unnamed "reviewing dentist" will determine that the documentation a dentist properly submits for a crown replacement (in my case) is not adequate to justify the procedure. Guardian Client Support suggests an appeal. Return to "reviewing dentist" step. Eventually the client wears down, the dentist loses patience in providing ever more documentation and the patient pays alone. Guardian's offshore Indian customer agents are sympathetic and happy to pass along the steps needed for another appeal, but are powerless to do anything more. For 15 minutes of 3rd world labor time listening or chatting, Guardian has avoided paying a significant but legitimate dental benefit. This should be explored further by authorities.
3 years ago
NavidadInCO Thornton, CO
If I could rate it a -1, I would. I have bought Dental insurance individually for the last 20-25 years and this is by far the worst company I have dealt with. Every procedure has a lot of small print that will cause them not to pay for it. Our company switched providers 1/1/21 and since then we have heard nothing but complaints! I am out at least $1000 and a coworker has paid over $3000 in dental work that was plain denied. My dentist submitted and resubmitted the work for review and it was denied every single time. What I found out is that they use a separate company to "review" so that they can claim it was not them that denied it. If our company continues to use this option, I will not be taking it next year.
3 years ago
Joe Kochanski Durham, NC
Terrible, pathetic excuse of a company. They have denied almost every claim I've had in the last 4 months with 2 separate providers. I changed from one dentist to another thinking it was the dentist who was taking advantage of me (after all claims were denied), but now that all claims are being denied with my new dentist, I see that this insurance company is totally corrupt. Deny every claim. Force you through a never ending appeals process. Their in-house dental consultant - paid to deny claims - knows better than the last 3 dentists I've been to, all of whom have recommended work be done for my dental health and well being. I will be reporting these fraudsters to the insurance commission; this needs to end now.
3 years ago
TwelfthSign 73 Houston, TX
JUNK INSURANCE!!! My agency switched to this company a year ago so I had no other options for dental. I HATE THIS INSURANCE! We previously had United Healthcare, which was friggin awesome! I’m pretty sure the goal of this company is to take your money and do everything within their power to deny claims for anything outside of routine cleanings. They hardly pay for anything and have the nerve to suggest using a dentist in-network to save money. I switched to an in-network dentist when they started denying claims from my dentist because I needed bridges and crowns. Switching dentists is only a hassle and a gimmick because they half pay the dentists in-network. If you can avoid this company RUN! It’s a waste of your time, money, and sanity to throw money to the wind because that is what you’re doing with this company!
3 years ago
Hope Funk Chicago, IL
The only thing this company is good at is taking your money on a consistent basis. Got their plan through the ACA marketplace and have had repeated issues since. Several plans have waiting periods for services of 6 months or more where effectively nothing is covered. Even after the waiting period, they routinely deny claims from dentists and have virtually no communication with subscribers. I recently had a wisdom teeth extraction last month and interacting with this company has been far more painful in comparison. No engagement via email support and when you get through to a live representative on their customer support line, they repeat company policy and make no effort to understand let alone remedy your situation. I am currently trying to terminate my policy and request a refund. I would rather do my own dental work by hand than give this company any more money.
3 years ago
