HearUSA Inc, West Palm Beach, Fla, plans to introduce in October the initial phase of a hearing care program designed exclusively for AARP members.

HearUSA’s nationwide network of credentialed hearing care providers will offer all AARP members reduced costs, uniform pricing, and extended warranties on its selection of state-of-the-art digital hearing aids and related products, plus personal hearing rehabilitation services to help patients experience the maximum benefits of the latest in amplification, says the company.

David Mathis, senior VP of AARP Services Inc, the wholly-owned and taxable subsidiary of AARP, said in the statement that he innovative model HearUSA has created will give AARP members access to a hearing wellness program that focuses on education and quality of care. Our members will have access to thousands of hearing care professionals and a choice of specialized hearing care solutions, he added. We are pleased to work with HearUSA to help meet this important and increasing health care need, he said.

The program will initially be available to AARP members in Florida and New Jersey, and will eventually be extended to AARP members in all 50 states and the US territories, says the company.

Some 36 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, according to the American Academy of Audiology, yet the Better Hearing Institute reports that only one-in-five has received treatment, notes HearUSA. According to the Hearing Loss Association, almost all (95%) people with hearing loss could be successfully treated with hearing aids, says the company.

When fully implemented, the AARP-branded hearing care program from HearUSA will require a nationwide network of least 5,000 independent hearing care providers, and will enable them and the industry’s manufacturers to provide millions of Americans with more affordable quality hearing care solutions, according to HearUSA.

HearUSA will be expanding its provider network by reaching out to qualified hearing care professionals throughout the nation and offering them the opportunity to participate in the program, says the company. As part of the selection process, applicants must agree to observe the hearing industry’s best practices guidelines.

HearUSA provides hearing care to patients through the HearUSA Hearing Care Network of 1,900 affiliated audiologists in 49 states and in more than 178 company-owned hearing care centers, says the company. HearUSA Centers are located in California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50-plus, has nearly 40 million members, according to AARP. AARP Services Inc is a wholly-owned taxable subsidiary of AARP. AARP Services manages the provider relationships for and performs quality control oversight of the wide range of products and services that carry the AARP name and are made available by independent providers as benefits to AARP’s members.

[Source: HearUSA]