Jun 27, 2019
- UnitedHealthcare
Hearing offers more affordable, quality hearing health care options,
including access to hearing aids at up to 80 percent less than devices
sold through traditional channels
- New
business unit to help meet the hearing health needs of all consumers,
including people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare individual,
employer-sponsored and Medicare Advantage plans
- UnitedHealthcare
to donate 20,000 silicone-based, reusable earplugs to police and fire
departments across the country as part of a public awareness
campaign
MINNETONKA,
Minn. (June 27, 2019) – UnitedHealthcare has launched UnitedHealthcare
Hearing, offering all consumers, including people enrolled in the company’s
individual, employer-sponsored and Medicare Advantage plans, greater access to
affordable, quality hearing health.
For
millions of people nationwide, UnitedHealthcare Hearing provides access to
custom-programmed hearing aids at up to 80 percent less than devices sold
through traditional channels. UnitedHealthcare Hearing brings together EPIC
Hearing Healthcare, the nation’s largest provider of hearing health
benefits, and hi HealthInnovations,
a direct-to-consumer hearing health care company.
“UnitedHealthcare
Hearing expands our whole-person benefit plans that offer greater access to
quality, cost-effective care for the millions of Americans we serve,” said Tom
Wiffler, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits. “Helping people maintain or
improve their hearing health can enhance their overall well-being and reduce
their risk of falls and health conditions associated with untreated hearing
loss, such as depression and dementia.”
About 48 million Americans experience
some degree of hearing loss, although many do not seek treatment due to cost
and lack of coverage. Hearing loss is linked to age and environmental factors,
and prolonged and repetitive exposure to loud sounds is contributing to the
growing prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss, particularly among people of
working age in their 30s, 40s and 50s.
Through
EPIC Hearing Healthcare, more employers can provide their employees an expanded
portfolio of hearing health benefit plans that include the full spectrum of
hearing aid options and a large national network of more than 5,000
credentialed audiologists and hearing health professionals. In addition, nearly
3 million people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans that
offer hearing health benefits have more robust coverage. They have access to a
broad choice of custom-programmed hearing aids from all major manufacturers,
with no out-of-pocket cost for some people and a per-device copay for most
starting at $200.*
hi
HealthInnovationssells premium, state-of-the-art hearing aids to people by phone,
online or in person at locations nationwide, with personalized support during
and after purchase. Through hi HealthInnovations, millions
of UnitedHealthcare plan participants – including people with
employer-sponsored and individual hearing coverage, as well as people enrolled
in most Medicare Advantage plans – can purchase custom-programmed hearing aids
starting at a $100 per-device copay for many people.**
UnitedHealthcare
Hearing will provide additional value to employees and companies that
combine medical and specialty health benefits, including vision, dental and
financial protection coverage, through a single health plan. To learn more
about the value of integrating medical and specialty benefits to help encourage
better health outcomes and lower costs, click here.
As part
of the launch, UnitedHealthcare is sharing TV and radio public service announcements with
stations across the country – in collaboration with Songs
for Sound, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving access to
hearing health care – to help people understand the connection between noise
exposure and hearing loss.
UnitedHealthcare
is also donating 20,000 silicone-based earplugs to police and fire departments
across the country. The reusable earplugs will help protect the health of first
responders who are at risk of hearing loss due to on-the-job noise exposure.
“Studies
show firefighters and police officers are at higher risk for hearing loss, in
part due to exposure to loud sounds while helping protect people’s safety and
well-being,” said John Fruetel, chief, Minneapolis Fire Department. “We
appreciate this donation and know it will help support the health of our first
responders in Minneapolis.”
In
addition to Minneapolis, first responders in nine other cities across the
country are receiving earplug donations, including Cleveland, Dallas, San
Antonio, Seattle and St. Paul, Minn. To see how this donation is already
helping firefighters, click here.
More information about UnitedHealthcare Hearing is available
at uhchearing.com.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier
lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the
health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs,
and sustaining trustedrelationships with care providers. In the United
States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs
for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The
company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned
and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one
of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care
company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or
follow @UHC on Twitter.
*The cost of hearing aids as well as the method of paying for
them varies by plan. Medicare Advantage members should refer to their Evidence
of Coverage document or call the number on their health plan ID card to confirm
the cost and payment method for their plan.
**The cost of hearing aids as well as the method of paying for
them varies by plan. Medicare Advantage members should refer to their Evidence
of Coverage document or call the number on their health plan ID card to confirm
the cost and payment method for their plan.
https://newsroom.uhc.com/news-releases/UnitedHealthcare-Hearing-Launch.html?Source=LinkedIn&Medium=Organic
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