Underpayment is a systems problem, not a one-off dispute.
Out-of-network claims get underpaid at volume, and fighting them back requires navigating three separate regulatory lanes, each with its own forms, timelines, and statutory clocks. Most provider teams don't have the bandwidth to run that fight claim by claim, on top of everything else billing already owns. Payers count on that.
Guardian exists to run that fight for you, at scale, without adding headcount or workflow to your practice.
We work every regulatory path that applies to your claims.
Federal IDR
For claims tied to ERISA self-funded employer plans. We run open negotiation and independent dispute resolution end to end.
AB 72 IDRP
For state-regulated HMO and DMHC plans. We prepare and submit provider-dispute and independent dispute resolution filings.
CDI Arbitration
For eligible state-regulated insurance claims. We pursue arbitration through the California Department of Insurance.
A disciplined, repeatable loop.
Intake
Your data comes in through a secure portal, never email.
Eligibility screen
Every claim is checked against timing, plan type, and exclusions.
Lane routing
Each claim is routed to federal, DMHC, or CDI, and human-verified.
Filing
Notices and submissions go out with every statutory deadline calendared.
Tracking
You see claim status at every stage through your portal.
Built to be trusted with your claims, not just your data.
- Commercial authorized representative, not a law firm. We act under your authorization and a limited power of attorney, never as your legal counsel.
- Fees agreed in writing, up front. Your fee structure is set in your Services Agreement before any work begins, with no surprise charges layered on later.
- Every filing is human-reviewed. We use AI to draft and organize faster, but a named person reviews and releases every notice before it goes out.
- Built for HIPAA from day one. Guardian operates as your business associate under a signed BAA, on encrypted, access-controlled systems.
"You deserve straight answers, not inflated promises. We won't estimate your recovery until we've reviewed your claims, but we'll always be upfront about how the process works and exactly what it costs you before you sign anything."
The loop, start to finish
Intake
Payment reports, EOBs, and claim detail move through Guardian's secure portal only, never by email. Nothing enters our systems until a BAA is signed.
Eligibility screen
Every claim is checked for genuine out-of-network status, open timing windows, excluded payers, and cooling-off conflicts before it moves forward.
Lane routing
ERISA self-funded plans route to federal IDR; state-regulated plans route to DMHC or CDI. Every routing decision is human-verified, no exceptions.
Filing
Open-negotiation notices, IDR initiations, and DMHC/CDI submissions go out with proof of delivery, and every statutory deadline is calendared the same day.
Tracking
Your portal shows claim status in real time: screening, negotiation, filed, or decided, with dates.
Resolution
When an award or settlement lands, we verify payment reached you before invoicing our fee on the actual recovery.
How we're paid
Guardian's fees are set per engagement and documented in your Services Agreement before any work begins, so you know exactly what the arrangement is before you sign. Guardian never holds your money: payer remittances go directly to you, and we invoice you separately.
What we need from you
The biggest driver of how fast we can move is how quickly your billing system can export payment reports, EOBs, and claim detail by NPI, TIN, and CPT. We'll ask about your export format and turnaround in the first conversation, before anything else. Before we discuss specific numbers, we'll ask you to sign a mutual NDA; before any patient-level data moves, we'll need a signed BAA.
Guardian Claim Partners LLC exists because out-of-network underpayment is a volume problem that individual providers don't have the time or infrastructure to fight, claim by claim, across three different regulatory lanes. We built the process, the technology, and the compliance discipline to fight it on your behalf, so your team never has to become IDR specialists just to get paid what you're owed.
Who's behind Guardian
Guardian is run by three partners, and each of them owns a distinct part of your engagement. You will know which one to call, whatever the question is.
Andrew Lewis
Your first point of contact, and the person who negotiates and signs your engagement agreement on Guardian's behalf. Andrew sets pricing terms, and owns Guardian's HIPAA and business associate compliance: the BAA you sign, the workforce training behind it, and breach response if it is ever needed.
Rolando Salinas
Runs service delivery once you are onboarded. Rolando tracks every case from intake through determination and owns what happens after it: your invoice, payment posting, and collections follow-up. Questions about where a claim stands, or about a bill you have received, come to him.
Tara Salinas
Built and runs the platform your claims move through, including its security and access controls. Tara owns eligibility screening and intake logic, IDR and IDRP submissions, certified IDR entity selection and conflict checking, deadline calendaring across every open matter, and qualifying payment amount analysis.
Guardian Claim Partners LLC is a commercial claims-recovery firm. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice or legal representation.
Open roles
Provider Relationships Manager
Owns Guardian's provider pipeline end to end: building relationships with hospitals, ASCs, and physician groups; qualifying and closing signed Services Agreements; and staying engaged through onboarding. Compensation is structured as a base draw plus flat 10% commission on collected revenue, with a loyalty structure built around long-term partnerships, not one-time signatures.
Start a conversation
Tell us how to reach you and roughly what your out-of-network volume looks like. We'll follow up to set up a call, where we can go into detail and walk through what a mutual NDA covers before we discuss specific numbers.