UnitedHealthcare debuted a new virtual care resource that will reduce the need for in-person appointments for hearing aid adjustments and other support.
About 48 million people in the U.S. live with hearing loss, according to the Hearing Health Foundation. While 80% of hearing loss cases
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As in-person meetings and appointments have been replaced with virtual options, UnitedHealthcare Hearing, an arm of the
“COVID did accelerate the onset of the program because we were concerned that some people were delaying treatment and delaying those in-person appointments,” says Diane Nens, an audiologist and senior clinical director at UnitedHealthcare Hearing. “If the member decides to order hearing aids they can do it [from home] and receive fittings, follow ups and support remotely.”
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People enrolled in eligible UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored and Medicare Advantage plans can purchase custom hearing aids with no out-of-pocket costs. Copays are less than $200 per device through the resource.
Additionally, if an employee is concerned about their hearing, they can take an online hearing test from UnitedHealthcare and get connected with an audiologist, who will assess their needs.
“A large number of Americans have hearing loss and very few really take the steps to seek treatment,” Nens says. “For people in the workforce with hearing loss, the condition reduces household income by about an average of $12,000 per year, and the use of hearing aids can mitigate up to about 50% of that. By treating the hearing loss, [employers are] really helping that individual's overall performance.”
