Guardian Offers Enhanced Disability Insurance Coverage for New York Small Businesses

NEW YORK, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), one of the largest mutual life insurers and a leading provider of employee benefits, today announced that it will offer enhanced New York disability insurance coverage to businesses with less than 50 employees.  Small businesses with employees in New York will now have more options to provide enriched state-mandated disability insurance benefits to their employees who are disabled by an off-the-job injury or illness.

"The financial impact of disability can be profound for the employee as well as the employer.  Many small business owners are not aware of the devastating effects disability can have on productivity and the overall health of their business," says Barry Petruzzi, 2nd Vice President, Group Life & Disability.   "Guardian's enhanced coverage will enable small businesses with employees in New York to provide a greater level of short-term disability income replacement at a reasonable cost," Petruzzi adds. "As a disability market leader, Guardian offers one of the most flexible product platforms for both large and small businesses backed by expert and reliable claims service both employers and employees can appreciate."  

Guardian is one of only a few major insurance carriers that offer enhanced New York State Disability Law (DBL) benefit coverage to groups with fewer than 50 employees.  Guardian's disability coverage provides a maximum weekly benefit of $700 for up to 26 weeks for companies with less than 50 employees (maximum weekly benefit of $500 for up to 26 weeks for companies with 2 to 9 employees).  For businesses with greater than 50 employees, the enhanced coverage provides up to $750 per week for up to 52 weeks.  New York-based small businesses, as well as companies with employees located in the State, will benefit from this enhanced coverage.

"Employers can meet state minimum requirements for coverage or can design an enhanced benefits plan at competitive rates for their employees' specific needs, plus we offer generous discounts when the statutory coverage is purchased with another Guardian coverage," notes Petruzzi. "Guardian's enhanced coverage and affordable plan options help small businesses control costs, simplify administration and offer their employees a broad range of benefits, which assists with recruiting and retaining valuable workers."

About Guardian

A mutual insurer founded in 1860, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries are committed to protecting individuals, business owners and their employees with life, long-term care, disability income, group medical and dental insurance products, and offer 401(k), annuities and other financial products. Guardian operates one of the largest dental networks in the United States, and protects more than six million employees and their families at 120,000 companies. The company has more than 5,400 employees in the United States and a network of over 3,000 financial representatives in more than 80 agencies nationwide.

For more information about Guardian, please visit: www.GuardianLife.com.

SOURCE The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America