DES MOINES, Iowa--The Principal Financial Group, a national provider of employee benefits, has announced a new agreement with SafeGuard Health Plans, Inc. bringing optional dental health maintenance organization coverage to customers in California, Florida, and Texas.
Through SafeGuard, customers and potential customers of The Principal are now able to offer a DHMO plan alongside preferred provider organization coverage.
"Employee choice is the foundation of a good benefits package. That's why The Principal is partnering with SafeGuard to add even more flexibility. This relationship is the beginning of a new strategy where we plan to work with similar companies in regional areas to provide one of the most comprehensive dental programs available," said Theresa McConeghey, dental product director for The Principal.
"By working together with strategic partners, we're able to leverage the strengths of these organizations to bring our customers more benefit design options along with a strong local presence and provider network."
"We are excited about the opportunity to partner with The Principal to bring the added value of dental HMO benefits to their plan offerings," commented Steve Baker, president and chief operating officer of SafeGuard.
"The plans marketed through their sales force are SafeGuard's newest product line and are more comprehensive than most products being offered today."
In addition to flexible benefit designs, The Principal provides a number of interactive tools to help members get the most out of their dental benefits. Through the Principal Dental Health EdgeSM located on www.principal.com, members can access information on procedures, treatment plans, network providers and basic oral health information.
The site includes a cost estimator, which calculates dental costs in a given zip code and a database of network providers who offer discounted charges and fees.
For more information, visit SafeGuard's Web site at www.safeguard.net .
