As of December 1, 2025, Guardian and Principal will enter into a new network sharing arrangement. Guardian providers who participate in the DentalGuard Preferred Select (DGPS) network will automatically become participating providers for Principal’s PPO plan members. This means your office will soon be able to see Principal members under the same Guardian fee schedules you already have in place.
The Key Takeaways
👉 There is no action required from you to be included in this arrangement unless you choose to opt out.
👉 Your fee schedules will remain the same, and you’ll be reimbursed at your Guardian DGPS contracted rates for Principal members.
👉 Eligibility is straightforward. Simply verify benefits by calling the number on the Principal member’s ID card.
👉 If you wish to opt out, you must notify Guardian by November 14, 2025 to ensure your file is not shared with Principal. If you miss that deadline, you may still opt out later, but by then some of your patients may already be processed under this new agreement, and you could temporarily see Principal members paid at Guardian fee schedules until your opt-out is fully recognized.
Is This Reciprocal?
Guardian’s notice only addresses Guardian providers gaining access to Principal members. At this time, we haven’t seen confirmation that the agreement is reciprocal, meaning Principal providers gaining access to Guardian members. However, if history is any indicator, these types of arrangements often work both ways. If I had to make an educated guess, I would expect reciprocity to be announced in the near future.
Why This Matters
For practices, these types of network leases can be a double-edged sword.
• Pros: More patients, more coverage acceptance, and potentially fewer gaps in care when families are split between carriers.
• Cons: If this does become reciprocal, Principal providers may be pulled into Guardian’s lower fee schedules, reducing reimbursements without negotiation.
What PPO Advisors Recommends
• Evaluate your Guardian fee schedules: Since those rates will now apply to Principal members, be sure they are sustainable for your practice.
• Watch for reciprocity: We’ll be monitoring closely to see if Principal opens its network to Guardian members. If that happens, it could impact your reimbursement mix.
• Be mindful of the opt-out timeline: If Guardian’s fee schedules are too low for your practice to extend to Principal members, opt out before November 14, 2025 to prevent file sharing. If you miss the date, know that you still retain the right to opt out afterward. It may just require some administrative cleanup.
At PPO Advisors, we’ll continue to keep our clients updated as we learn more. For now, this is another reminder of how important it is to stay proactive in managing PPO participation rather than letting carriers dictate the terms.
By Shelley DeGroff, Founder of PPO Advisors