The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), has completed its previously announced acquisition of Sacramento-based Premier Access Insurance Company, a provider of dental coverage and care, serving more than 5,000 employers, and 630,000 members.

The addition of Premier Access strengthens Guardian’s existing Dental Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) networks in several states including California, Utah, and Nevada.

It also extends Guardian’s reach into the state-run Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) markets, which are expected to grow significantly due to expanded eligibility under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Guardian will also gain a presence on six individual state exchanges, complementing its existing offering on 48 of the small business health (SHOP) exchanges.

"The completion of our acquisition reinforces Guardian’s position as a leading dental company and extends our reach to serve more Americans," said Dong Ahn, Executive Vice President at Guardian. "Premier Access customers can continue to use their current dental centers or other providers within Guardian’s national network. We are committed to providing customers with quality dental services and a superior customer experience from Sacramento to across the nation."

Guardian remains committed to growing and continuing to service the Sacramento community. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.