An audiologist explains how the CapTel 800i phone allows users to listen to the phone conversation, as they see and read captions of what the outside caller is saying.

A new marketing agreement between Hamilton CapTel, Aurora, Neb, and HearUSA Inc provides for HearUSA, West Palm Beach, Fla, to offer the Hamilton CapTel telephone through HearUSA’s Web site and a nationwide network of hearing health care providers and hearing health care insurance subscribers. HamiltonCap Tel has also signed a distribution partnership with Hal-Hen Co Inc, Long Island City, NY, allowing hearing care providers affiliated with Hal-Hen to extend the benefits of Hamilton CapTel to their patients.

The Hamilton CapTel phone offers a free captioning service, displaying every word the caller says during the conversation, enabling users with hearing loss to listen to the caller’s voice while reading written captions on the phone’s display screen. Access to high-speed Internet service is required.

“As we expand our national presence, we envision CapTel filling a critical need for our customers and, through them, directly to patients across the country,” said Jeremy Moser, director of network operations and www.hearingshop.com, HearUSA’s retail Web site.

Hamilton CapTel will be included in the HearUSA Provider’s Advantage program, which leverages the buying power of HearUSA, with its network of more than 2,000 hearing health care providers nationwide. Through Providers Advantage, hearing health care providers can purchase CapTel products directly.

Hal-Hen has built a global network of more than 11,000 audiologists and hearing care professionals.

"As we inform our hearing health care providers about the benefits of CapTel service, many express to us the critical need this product fills for their patients," said Joe Vespe, Hal-Hen’s director of operations.

Hamilton CapTel is a service of Hamilton Relay, a division of Hamilton Telecommunications.

HearUSA operates 180 company-owned centers and network of more than 2,000 hearing care providers. The company is also the administrator of the AARP Hearing Care program, designed to help millions of Americans aged 50-plus who have hearing loss.

Hal-Hen offers more than 4,000 products for patients and practices.

[Source: Hamilton CapTel]