Benefit offered through TruHearing relationship
should improve access to hearing tests and increase affordability
for hearing aids in 34 states
Medicare beneficiaries in 27 more states will soon have better
access to hearing examinations and more affordable hearing aids
thanks to Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM). Humana, a leading health and
well-being company, is expanding its existing relationship with
TruHearing, a hearing health care company, to include hearing care
and hearing aid benefits within more of its Medicare Advantage plan
offerings.
Humana is including this hearing benefit on certain 2018
Medicare Advantage plans offered in the following new states:
Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia,
West Virginia and Wisconsin. Humana and TruHearing teamed up in
2017 to introduce the benefit in select Medicare Advantage plans
offered in Arizona, Arkansas, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and
Washington state. In 2018, the benefit will be offered in a total
of 34 states.
Original Medicare covers diagnostic hearing exams only if a
patient’s health care provider orders the test to see if medical
treatment is needed. Otherwise, Original Medicare does not cover
hearing exams, hearing aids, or hearing aid fittings, despite the
fact that one in four Americans 70 years and over has a hearing
impairment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
Traditionally, hearing aids have been unaffordable and out of
reach for many Medicare beneficiaries. According to a National
Academies of Sciences report on hearing aid affordability, the
average retail price of two hearing aids in 2013 was approximately
$4,700.
The benefit allows for one annual routine hearing exam, at no
additional cost to the member, and high-quality digital hearing
aids for fixed copayments. This makes the members’ out-of-pocket
expenses simple and transparent. Members will be able to obtain two
hearing aids per year (one per ear), with the choice of an advanced
TruHearing hearing aid with a copay ranging from $399-699, or a
premium TruHearing hearing aid with a copay of $699-999. These
copayments are per hearing aid and vary depending on the member’s
location and plan selected.
TruHearing hearing aids include three provider visits for
fittings and evaluations within the first year of the hearing aid
purchase, a 45-day trial period, a three-year extended warranty and
48 batteries per aid – all at no extra cost to the member. The
hearing aids offer wireless connectivity to your mobile phone or
tablet through Bluetooth technology and come in a variety of colors
and styles.
People with Medicare may select these plans during the 2018
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Enrollment
Period, or AEP, which runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2017. Those
selecting a plan with this option will be able to start using the
benefit Jan. 1, 2018.
“Hearing is an important part of our everyday lives and any
impairment can lead to emotional and social consequences for older
adults. This can include social isolation, depression and anxiety,
according to a study by the National Council on the Aging,” said
Anup K. Sharma, M.D., M.B.A., Medical Director, Clinical
Integration for Humana. “The TruHearing hearing care and hearing
aid benefit helps take the guesswork out of the cost of a hearing
aid and will go a long way to helping our members hear better,
improving their overall health and well-being so they can start
with healthy.”
Medicare beneficiaries living in these states who are interested
in the hearing aid benefit should visit Humana.com/Medicare to
research these plans and learn more about this and other plan
benefits.
About TruHearing
TruHearing works with more than 60 managed care organizations
across the country to provide their members with hearing aid
benefits and discounts. Their mission is help make hearing aids
more affordable by partnering with health plans to provide low-cost
hearing solutions to their membership. TruHearing has a contracted
network of more than 5,600 hearing professionals that deliver the
latest technology in hearing aids with local, personalized service.
For more information visit www.truhearing.com.
About Humana
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is committed to helping our millions of
medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our
successful history in care delivery and health plan administration
is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power
to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are
leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare,
families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities
at large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care
professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right
place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical
capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care,
behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness
solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes
health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via
the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at
www.humana.com, including copies of:
- Annual reports to stockholders
- Securities and Exchange Commission
filings
- Most recent investor conference
presentations
- Quarterly earnings news releases and
conference calls
- Calendar of events
- Corporate Governance information
Additional Information:
Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organization
with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in a Humana plan depends on
contract renewal. The benefit information provided is a brief
summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more
information, contact the plan. Limitations, copayments and
restrictions may apply. Benefits, premium and member cost-share may
change on January 1 of each year. You must continue to pay your
Medicare Part B premium.
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Humana Inc.Corporate Communications:Kate Marx,
502-271-9288Kmarx1@humana.com
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