NEW YORK, N.Y., May 7, 2018 ­– The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), one of the nation’s largest mutual life insurers and a leading provider of individual disability income (DI) insurance through its wholly owned stock subsidiary Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America, today introduced enhancements to its Multi-Life Disability Insurance (MLDI) platform as part of its Supplemental Income Protection Program, providing employers and brokers with a fully customizable disability income insurance solution that eases benefits administration. 

This platform upgrade includes access to a new Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) product, Provider Choice, which presents more disability income coverage options. Employers and brokers will also have access to new technologies that offer improved features and functionality, such as easier, faster quoting, improved illustration outputs and more integrated administration capabilities on Guardian Anytime, Guardian’s online billing and administration portal, and further enhancements to Guardian’s online enrollment site.

“Guardian’s new MLDI platform gives plan administrators and brokers the flexibility they need, in a digital system that eases their administrative burden and improves efficiencies,” said Lawrence Hazzard, Vice President of Product Strategy. “Guardian continues to be the only carrier that provides a completely straight-through process by delivering seamless digital integration and a robust set of eSuite tools. Both employers and employees appreciate the advantage the speed, ease, and at-their-fingertips access these digital enhancements provide.”

Provider Choice includes new features such as a hospice benefit and student loan protection rider. The hospice benefit ensures that any unexpired portion of the elimination period ― the time between making a claim and receiving benefits ― is waived for a customer who is under physician-ordered hospice care. The student loan protection rider ensures that policyholders can continue to repay student loan debt and use base policy benefits to pay other expenses when they are unable to work due to a disability. Features exclusively for Provider Choice policyholders include:

• a five-year waiver of the elimination period;
• waiver of the premium that continues for six months post-claim;
• enhanced policy portability options; and
• three options for Mental and/or Substance Abuse Disorders, which includes a discounted, six-month limitation, in addition to the typical 24-month limitation.

The MLDI platform was created to fill demand and offer employers and brokers a management system that provides a more efficient end-to-end digital offering that includes online enrollment, electronic policy delivery, implementation, billing and administration.

Watch this short video for additional information about Guardian’s MLDI platform.