SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                           SCHEDULE 13D


            Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                        (Amendment No. 5)


                 Physicians Health Services, Inc.
                         (Name of Issuer)

              Class A Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 
                  (Title of Class of Securities)




                          (CUSIP NUMBER)

               The Guardian Life Insurance Company
                            of America
                      201 Park Avenue South
                    New York, New York  10003
          (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
        Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)


                         October 21, 1996
     (Date of event which requires filing of this statement)


If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule
13G to report the acquisition which is the subject of this
Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3)
or (4) check the following box [ ]

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with the statement [ ]

The information required in the remainder of this cover page
shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise
subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall
be subject to all other provisions of the Act.




                           SCHEDULE 13D

CUSIP No.

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
     The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*        (a)
                                                              (b)

3    SEC USE ONLY

4    SOURCE OF FUNDS
          OO

5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
     PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)

6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
          See Item 2

     NUMBER OF           7         SOLE VOTING POWER
     SHARES                             See Item 5
     BENEFICIALLY        8         SHARED VOTING POWER
     OWNED BY                           See Item 5
     EACH                9         SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     REPORTING                          See Item 5
     PERSON              10        SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
     WITH                               See Item 5

11   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
          See Item 5

12   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
     CERTAIN SHARES

13   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
          See Item 5

14   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON 
          IC




                           SCHEDULE 13D

     This Amendment No. 5 to the Schedule 13D filed on
December 8, 1995 by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of
America, a New York mutual life insurance company ("The
Guardian"), relates to The Guardian's ownership of shares of
Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Class A
Common Stock") of Physicians Health Services, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Issuer"), and of The Guardian's ownership of a
warrant dated November 28, 1995 (the "Warrant") to purchase
Class A Common Stock of the Issuer.  Except as otherwise noted
herein, there have been no material changes to the disclosure in
the Schedule 13D, as previously amended.  The Schedule 13D is
hereby amended as follows:

Item 5.   Interest in Securities of the Issuer

     To the knowledge of The Guardian, the Issuer has issued and
outstanding 5,483,716 million shares of Class A Common Stock and
3,823,480 shares of Class B Common Stock for a total of 9,307,196
shares of capital stock issued and outstanding. The Guardian
directly and beneficially owns 450,000 shares of Class A Common
Stock purchased on May 1-2, 1996, 145,500 shares of Class A
Common Stock purchased on August 14, 1996, 153,000 shares of
Class A Common Stock purchased between August 16 and August 29,
1996, inclusive, and 306,200 shares of Class A Common Stock
purchased on October 14-15, 1996, for an aggregate of 1,054,700
shares of Class A Common Stock.  

     During the lesser of the past 60 days or the time since The
Guardian's filing of its most recent Schedule 13D or amendment to
any Schedule 13D, there have been no acquisitions or dispositions
by The Guardian in the shares of the Issuer's Class A Common
Stock.  The Warrant dated November 28, 1995 originally entitled
The Guardian to purchase one million shares of Class A Common
Stock.  As previously disclosed in this Schedule 13D, The
Guardian relinquished its right to purchase 604,700 shares of
Class A Common Stock under the Warrant.  On October 21, 1996, the
Guardian relinquished its right to purchase the remaining 395,300
Class A Common Stock under the Warrant.  Consequently, no shares
of Class A Common Stock remain available under the Warrant for
purchase by The Guardian.  The Guardian believes that it holds
approximately 19.23% of shares of the issued and outstanding
Class A Common Stock and 11.33% of all issued and outstanding
shares of the Issuer's capital stock.  Based on the voting
authority of holders of the Issuer's Class B Common Stock, The
Guardian believes that its holdings of Class A Common Stock
represents less than 5% of the aggregate voting authority of the
all outstanding shares of the Issuer's capital stock.  The
Guardian has the sole power to vote or direct the vote of its
holdings and to dispose or direct the disposition of such
holdings.  The Guardian does not share the power to vote or to
direct the vote or to dispose or direct the disposition of any of
its shares of Class A Common Stock.  

     The number of shares beneficially owned by The Guardian and
the percentage of outstanding shares represented thereby, have
been computed in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Act.  The
percentage of ownership of Class A Common Stock is based on
5,483,716 outstanding shares of the Issuer's Class A Common
Stock.  The percentage of ownership of all capital stock of the
Issuer is based on 9,307,196 outstanding shares of capital stock
of the Issuer.

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of its knowledge and
belief, the undersigned certifies that the information set forth
in this statement is true, complete and correct.


Dated:  November 12, 1996

                            THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
                            OF AMERICA



                            By:  /s/   EDWARD K. KANE            
                                Name:  Edward K. Kane           
                                Title: Senior Vice President 
                                       and General Counsel




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