June 20, 2008//Lincoln, Neb.//Today Ameritas Group, a company known for dental and eye care coverage, announced its entry into a new benefits arena with SoundCare^SM hearing health plans. Benefits can cover hearing exams, hearing aids and hearing aid maintenance. Qualifying employer groups in most states may select stand-alone SoundCare or tie the coverage to dental or medical benefits.

Ameritas Group President Ken VanCleave said the company created SoundCare to answer a growing and largely unmet need.

“The same technology explosion that delivered useful and fun devices like MP3 players, cell phone earpieces and gaming headsets is having an unwelcome side effect: hearing damage at ages younger than anyone ever imagined,” he said. “The result is a nation of people who are losing hearing in their 50s, 40s and even earlier — well before the age you would traditionally expect to start seeing impairment in the general population.”

And since damage gets worse with continued noise exposure and can’t be reversed, VanCleave said hearing care will become increasingly important.

“Life’s getting louder,” he said, “and when it comes to anticipating the need, many employers are already there. When we told several of our larger groups we were considering this new wellness benefit, their response was, ‘How soon can we get it?’ They’ve heard about this problem in the news.

“People need hearing screenings to establish a baseline, then regular follow-ups to monitor changes. It’s an important health habit to uncover noise-induced and other hearing problems early, take steps to prevent damage from getting worse and receive treatment when needed. SoundCare is designed to help people pay for this care.”

Ameritas Group/EPIC Agreement
VanCleave also announced Ameritas Group has entered into an agreement with EPIC Hearing Health Care (www.epichearing.com) in order to provide information about EPIC’s service offerings and the value of good hearing to SoundCare plan members.

“EPIC offers a nationwide alliance of ear physicians, ENTs and audiologists for expert hearing evaluations and treatments,” he explained. “People who want to take advantage of this resource can use the services of EPIC’s trained hearing counselors for help in finding an alliance provider, scheduling an exam, receiving treatment, submitting their claim and more.”

EPIC President and CEO Brad Volkmer said his company also maintains working relationships with major hearing device manufacturers to negotiate the best prices. “Treatment for hearing loss primarily means hearing aids, and advancing technology has resulted in dramatic improvements,” he said. “But high performance can come at a price; hearing aid costs can range up to $3,500 each. Our purchasing arrangements can result in substantial savings to augment the insurance benefit paid by Ameritas Group so people are able to afford the treatment they need.”

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For more information, contact:
Karen Gustin, vice president - group marketing & managed care, Ameritas Group
800-543-7784, ext. 82507
e-mail: kgustin@ameritas.com