Change Healthcare’s cyber incident is affecting some services

In late February, a cybercriminal gained unauthorized access to the system of Change Healthcare (CHC), a service provider of Guardian and its dental affiliates (collectively “Guardian”), which has caused disruptions across the health care industry and impacted a substantial proportion of people in America.

CHC recently notified us that it identified Guardian as one of many companies whose member data was affected by the security incident. CHC will send direct notice letters to individuals they determine to be affected and for whom they have sufficient addresses.  

CHC is proactively offering resources to individuals who are concerned about the security of their personal information because of the cyberattack. The resources include free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for two years and can be accessed by calling t their dedicated call center at 1-866-262-5342, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT.

More information about the attack on CHC, the type of information that was affected, and what individuals can do to protect their identity is available here. 

Guardian has deployed business continuity plans to minimize disruption to our members and providers during CHC's continued service outage. See below for information on what this may mean for you.

Members

Dental members with coverage through their employer as well as those who purchase coverage directly or through exchanges now have online access to EOBs associated with claims paid since 2/21/24.

EOBs for claims submitted prior to 2/21/24 currently remain unavailable on Guardian’s website and are dependent on our service provider’s (Change Healthcare) recovery efforts.

Guardian began issuing claims payments by mail beginning the week of March 4 and we have returned to normal processing times.

Checks and EOBs will look different than those you may have received in the past. Some dental EOBs may reference short term disability but relate to your dental claims. This is a temporary solution while we prioritize the quickest way to pay claims during the Change Healthcare disruption.

Guardian has always strived to honor our promises to customers and partners, and we remain committed to doing the right thing. We will consider the business disruption from the Change Healthcare outage when determining timeliness of claim submissions and other customer requests.

Please reach out to our contact center if you would like information on how to file a complaint or grievance, have questions or need additional assistance.

Providers

Guardian began issuing claims payments by mail the week of March 4, and we have returned to normal processing times. Please contact us if you are missing any payments or need assistance. We are working to establish an alternate solution for electronic dental payments.

Checks and EOBs will look different than those you may have received in the past. Some dental EOBs may reference short term disability but relate to your dental claims. This is a temporary solution while we prioritize the quickest way to get claims payments to providers during the CHC disruption.

EOBs for claims paid since 2/21/24 are available on the Guardian Anytime provider portal. You can check the status of claims submissions on our portal using Hugo, Guardian’s digital assistant.

EOBs for claims processed prior to 2/21/24 currently remain unavailable and are dependent on CHC’s recovery efforts.

For eligibility verification, please use our Guardian Anytime Service Portal.

Claims and attachments can be submitted through Vyne Dental’s website at https://vynedental.com/chg-payer/or by calling DentalXChange at (800) 576-6412 ext.464. You can also file a dental claim electronically on Guardian Anytime. Select Contact Us/Secure channel in the footer and provide the required information and completed claim form.

Claims, appeals, and attachments may also be sent via mail to:

PPO

Guardian Group Dental Claims PO Box 981572 El Paso, TX 79998-1572

DHMO and Managed Dental Care (CA DHMO)

PO Box 981571 El Paso, TX 79998-1571

Guardian Direct PPO and DHMO (claims and attachments)

Guardian Direct PO Box 981587 El Paso, TX 79998

Guardian Direct PPO Appeals

Guardian Direct Attn: DTC Appeals PO Box 981587 El Paso, TX 79998

DHMO Appeals

Guardian Direct Attn: DTC Appeals PO Box 25256 Lehigh Valley, PA 18002

Guardian has always strived to honor our promises to providers, and we remain committed to doing the right thing and meeting our expected Service Level Agreements.

Please reach out to our contact center if you have questions or need additional assistance.

Privacy policy

As a reminder, you can view or print a copy of our Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Notice of Privacy Practices and other Guardian privacy policies by visiting our website at www.guardianlife.com/privacy-policy

Report fraud

Fraud affects all of us! If you know or suspect that fraud is taking place, call us on our exclusive FRAUD HOTLINE 800-477-5908, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Eastern Time), or email us at: fraud@glic.com.

Your right of appeal

You are entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, copies of documentation and other relevant information related to your claim for benefits. You have a right to appeal this benefit decision by writing to Guardian. Guardian will review and notify you of its decision within 60 (disability appeals within 45) days (or less if your state requires a shorter response time) after receipt of your request. You have the right to bring a civil action under ERISA section 502(a) following an adverse benefit determination and you may have other alternative dispute resolution options under your plan. Contact your employer, the Department of Labor and/or the applicable state insurance regulatory agency for more information regarding your options and your rights under ERISA section 502(a).