World's Largest Medical Tourism Network Now Offers 60% Savings on Hearing Aids in the USA

Mercury Healthcare International, Inc (MHI) and TruHearing have joined forces to provide MHI clients and members up to 60% savings on hearing aids and diagnostic testing. Hearing aids are rarely covered by union and employer health benefit programs.
By: Francesca Glenn, MHA
 
Oct. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- Mercury Healthcare International, Inc. is a globally integrated health delivery system®. The company offers the largest integrated health delivery system access in the world, offering health savings at over 800,000 domestic and international healthcare providers to employers, expatriates, insurers, and individuals. MHI Certified Care Navigators™ assist clients to arrange care for routine, emergency and elective healthcare needs both in the USA and more than 40 other countries. In addition to the 1500 TruHearing centers throughout the USA and Canada are available as participating providers in the MHI network, the network includes over 6000 hospitals that have been pre-screened and subjected to detailed inspections, and over 750,000 doctors and over 65,000 ancillary professionals whose credentials have been verified and reviewed to U.S. managed care standards.  

Through a corps of health benefits agents, brokers and consultants, MHI offers more than 35,000 employers in the USA with self-funded health benefit plans the opportunity for their plan members to access MHI's negotiated network rates on routine, urgent, emergent and elective procedures and offers full health travel logistics coordination and case management in the USA and abroad. The company also offers a voluntary enrollment program for individual and family access to the network under a membership program with over 2.3 million card-carrying individual consumer clients who enjoy MHI membership savings in addition to any insurance coverage they may currently have or who might be enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid programs, and to others without any insurance coverage.

Now, in addition to being able to elect domestic or international health travel as an option for scheduled, elective, high-cost medically necessary diagnostic and surgical procedures,  MHI clients and members can access affordable hearing aids as well as free hearing exams, walk in free battery replacements, and incredible savings on some of the most popular styles of hearing aids throughout the USA.  For members of self-funded health benefit plans and labor unions, typically, these benefit plans include health, vision and dental insurance, but rarely do they cover hearing needs.

TruHearing has developed a discount hearing services program called MemberPlus. Now any MHI client employer who enrolls in MemberPlus can not only receive hearing benefits for their plan participants, but also for members of their immediate and extended family. Usually, insurance providers require that family members be listed as the employee’s dependents. But, because MemberPlus is not insurance - but actually a hearing services Discount Medical Program - employees can extend this benefit to parents, siblings, grandparents and even aunts and uncles. MHI also offers an individual savings option to access discounts through its website where members of the public can access savings just like they access medical tourism packages and get the TruHearing products at savings of up to 60% from walk-in prices.  "The savings are higher with MemberPlus, but higher or lower, savings are savings," says Maria K Todd, MHA PhD, Founder and CEO of The Mercury Healthcare Companies.

Statistics on Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is a condition that affects 12 percent of the American population. Nearly 17 percent of those between the ages of 41 and 59 – a viable portion of the US workforce – have hearing loss. Recent studies have shown that employers lose thousands of dollars of productivity when an employee has untreated hearing loss. Because the average retail price of a pair of hearing aids is $4,600, and insurance rarely provides any assistance for hearing aids, nearly 80 percent of those affected cannot afford treatment. But MemberPlus members can purchase a comparable pair of hearing aids for less than $2,000, with no additional fees for fitting and programming.

Unlike insurance, employees can voluntarily enroll in MemberPlus any time they or their loved ones need hearing aids. You can enroll anytime and if you don't happen to use the hearing aid benefit within 45 days, the membership fee is fully refundable.

“Offering a hearing benefit to our clients and members is a real value when you consider how many people live and work with this impairment, and how often it goes untreated,”  said Todd. “Hearing impaired workers are 55 percent more likely to be involved in a worksite accident than unimpaired workers, so employers tend to save money and prevent potential accidents that could result in millions of dollars a year just in their Workers’ Compensation costs. MHI is thrilled to offer the TruHearing MemberPlus benefit, and to assist our clients' plan members and our individual consumer members with getting the help they need to be safe at work, while driving, or at home to hear their baby crying or their spouse to whisper "I love you".”

You can even use your HRA or HSA plan for Hearing Care

Hearing care, hearing aids and appliances, and any coverage premiums are also qualified medical expenses as defined by IRC 213 (d). "If an employer offers a Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) with a limited sum of money available to the employee each year, using our network savings options make those dollars go further in spending power", says Todd.  "Individuals can save money on hearing expenses and get a free hearing screening at 1500 locations nationwide simply by going to http://www.truhearing.com/mercuryhealthcare and calling our special toll free number (1-877-379-4415) for concierge level assistance. How easy is that?"

“In 2010 MemberPlus members saved over $14.5 million,” said Lindsay Atwood, TruHearing CEO. Atwood founded TruHearing in 2003 with the goal of delivering hearing aids at a price people could afford. “With the new MemberPlus program, the savings to our members will be even greater. When you hear statistics such as 75 percent of the 30 million Americans with hearing loss do not have hearing aids because they can’t afford them, it makes you want to do something to help. That’s why we developed MemberPlus, to make hearing more affordable for these people, improving their quality of life.”

A vast majority of the hearing impaired population claim high prices as the main reason they have not purchased hearing aids. Through MemberPlus, members can save $600 - $2200 on a pair of hearing aids. By offering these affordable benefits, Mercury hopes to encourage employers and individuals and their loved ones to seek help for any of their hearing needs through the Mercury Healthcare International.

About TruHearing, Inc.
TruHearing offers discounted hearing aids to plan members, their families and extended families. The hearing tests are performed by a hearing professional using the latest diagnostic equipment. We dispense only the highest quality digital hearing instruments and provide these at up to 60% off standard pricing. TruHearing provides fitting, programming and three adjustment visits at no cost; the member is obligated to pay for testing, and all post-fitting hearing care services, but will receive a discount from those health care providers who have contracted with TruHearing. This is a truly exceptional value that brings the very best hearing aids within reach of almost everyone.  1-877-379-4415 (http://www.truhearing.com)

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About Mercury Healthcare International, Inc.

Mercury Healthcare International, Inc. is a globally integrated health delivery system®. The company offers the largest integrated health delivery system access in the world, offering health savings at over 800,000 domestic and international healthcare providers to employers, expatriates, insurers, and individuals. MHI Certified Care Navigators™ assist clients to arrange care for routine, emergency and elective healthcare needs both in the USA and more than 40 other countries. MHI's provider network includes over 6000 hospitals that have been pre-screened and subjected to detailed inspections, and over 750,000 doctors and over 65,000 ancillary professionals whose credentials have been verified and reviewed to U.S. managed care standards. (http://mercury-healthcare.com)
End
Source:Francesca Glenn, MHA
Email:***@mercury-healthcare.com Email Verified
Zip:80202
Tags:Health, Medical Tourism, Employee Benefits, Reform
Industry:Health, Benefits
Location:Denver - Colorado - United States
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