Contracts Cover 50 states and over 20 million lives
Chicago, IL - Hear PO Corp., the largest national provider of hearing benefits in the United States, today announced six separate agreements with Beech Street Corporation, Preferred Vision Care, Jones Stevedoring Company, IUOE - Pipe Line Employers, Teamsters Local - 705 and Latino Health Care. Each of these organizations offers hearing health benefit service packages.
Beech Street Corporation, one of the nation's oldest Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), merged with CAPP CARE in 1999 creating one of the nation's largest PPOs covering over 16 million lives throughout the United States. Beech Street offers both workers' compensation and commercial plans; therefore benefits will vary not only by plan, but also by employer. HearPO's agreement with Beech Street includes both funded and non-funded audiology services and HearPO brand hearing aids for both their workers' compensation and commercial plans. The contract effective date was October 1, 2000.
HearPO's agreement with Preferred Vision Care covers over 4 million lives throughout the United States. Preferred Vision Care is a membership network offering members both discounted vision and hearing services, including discounted private pay audiology services and HearPO brand hearing aids. HearPO was chosen as their exclusive hearing health care provider effective September 1, 2000.
The Company's agreement with Jones Stevedoring Company provides workers' compensation services and products to claimants in the State of Washington. Jones Stevedoring employs 2,000 people who load ships. Both audiology services and hearing aids are funded under this contract.
HearPO's agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers - Pipe Line Employers covers 5,000 union members, retirees and their families nationally, but mostly in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, New Jersey, Missouri and Illinois. Covered services include hearing screenings, air, bone and speech testing, and hearing aid evaluations. Hearing aid benefits include the entire line of HearPO brand hearing aids. Both audiology services and hearing aids are offered to retirees and family members on a discounted private pay basis. Union members have a $56.00 funded testing benefit plus a $500.00 per ear funded hearing aid benefit once every five years.
The Company's agreement with Teamsters - Local 705 covers 5,000 employees, 750 retirees and their family members in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, but primarily in the Chicagoland area. Covered services include all audiology services offered by HearPO and HearPO brand hearing aids. Current employees and their families have a $750.00 funded hearing/hearing aid benefit and retirees and their families qualify for private pay discounted HearPO brand hearing aids and services provided by HearPO audiologists.
HearPO's agreement with Latino Health Care covers approximately 30,000 lives in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Jose, California. This IPA includes funded audiology services and both funded and discounted private pay HearPO brand hearing aids in their hearing benefit plans.
Kathy A. Foltner, President of HearPO, commented, 'The diversity of the organizations that are choosing HearPO as their preferred hearing provider continues to reinforce the strength and versatility of both our audiology and hearing aid programs. The continued expansion of our managed care and workers' compensation presence, and commitment to patient care solidifies HearPO's position as the largest quality national provider of hearing benefits.'
Hear PO Corp., a subsidiary of Sonus Corp. (AMEX:SSN), is the largest national provider of hearing benefits in the United States covering over 57 million lives. With over 1,400 highly credentialed affiliates across the entire U.S., HearPO provides health plans and employer groups the ability to provide cost effective, quality hearing health care services and hearing aids to their members. To learn more about the Company, visit the HearPO websites at www.sonus.com and www.hearpo.com
