Costco Partners with UHA to Allow Direct Payment from Health Plan for Hearing Aids
HONOLULU, HAWAII — Costco has partnered with UHA Health Insurance, which will be the first health plan in the nation to pay directly for its members’ hearing aids purchased at Costco. The partnership is said to also include direct payment for eyeglasses and contact lenses purchased at Costco’s Optical Centers. As of July 15, UHA…
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Is CVS Looking to Take on Costco Hearing Aid Centers? Company to Add Dozens of Hearing Clinics to Stores Across US
WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND — CVS Pharmacy, the largest pharmacy chain the US, announced in April that the company is looking to massively expand the number of hearing centers it has across the country. The company currently has a handful of hearing centers in select markets, which it launched in 2015, and it is now looking to…
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Costco Quietly Launches Latest Kirkland Brand Premium Hearing Aids–at Even Lower Price Point
ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON — This past week, Costco quietly rolled out the latest iteration of its “Kirkland Signature” branded hearing aids in stores across the United States. As reported by HHTM in August, to the surprise of many analysts and industry insiders, GN ReSound did not have its contract renewed to become the retail giant’s Kirkland Signature brand supplier–which…
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Sonova Acquires European AudioNova in Largest Ever Hearing Aid Retail Deal
Sonova announced on May 4 the acquisition of European behemoth, AudioNova, for € 830 million ($954 million). It is reported to be the largest transaction ever in the hearing aid retail market and makes Sonova-owned retail approximately the same size as retail leader, Amplifon. Following this acquisition, Sonova will have over 3,300 stores worldwide with…
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William Demant and ReSound reach agreements with major hearing aid retailers
By David H. Kirkwood COPENHAGEN–Two of the hearing aid industry’s Big Six companies–William Demant, parent company of Oticon, and GN ReSound—are taking steps to strengthen their retail distribution channels. Demant announced yesterday (February 17) that it is negotiating to buy a majority interest in Audika Groupe, the largest network of hearing aid centers…
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Readers’ Choice 2014: Phonak and Costco team up
Dear Readers: During this holiday season, the editors at Hearing Health & Technology Matters (HHTM) are taking some time off. However, we are not leaving you without anything to read on our blog this week. Instead, we are publishing a special holiday edition filled with what we call our Readers’ Choices. HHTM has had more…
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Analyst says Phonak decision on Costco is “probably right” despite “short-term pain
By David H. Kirkwood LONDON–Since this blog first reported that Phonak LLC would start selling Brio, a new premium hearing aid model, through Costco, we have received and published dozens of comments on the issue. Many came from independent practitioners who dispense Phonak hearing aids. They expressed outrage over having to compete with a “big box”…
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Audiologists from three nations ally to advance autonomous practices and patient outcomes
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA; WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND; AND LEXINGTON, KY—Independent hearing healthcare providers are feeling more than a little beleaguered these days, and who can blame them? Consider the following: Every few days, it seems, yet another story is published extolling a new online or over-the-counter device that, for just a few hundred dollars, gives users as…
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Starkey takes stand against “commoditization” of hearing aids via sales to big box stores
By David H. Kirkwood The controversy over Phonak’s decision to sell hearing aids through Costco heated up last week when Starkey Hearing Technologies told its customers that the decision by Phonak and its parent, Sonova, “does not align with Starkey Hearing Technologies’ values and principles.” In an April 10 e-mail addressed “Dear Valued Customers,” Brandon…
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Phonak confirms that it will distribute hearing aids through Costco
AUTHOR’S UPDATE: For more on this story, see my colleague Holly Hosford-Dunn’s two posts on the topic at Hearing Economics. Curious about hearing aids sold at Costco? The Hearing Technologies section provides a review of Costco’s current hearing aid models and pricing. Currently, Phonak is now on its 3rd generation of hearing devices released in Costco.…
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