Starkey announced that its executive leaders attended a three-day virtual event focused on the future of Medicare during the Better Medicare Alliance’s 2020 Medicare Advantage Summit this fall. They joined a roster of healthcare leaders, including HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Assistant Secretary for Aging Lance Robertson, and CMMI Director Brad Smith. Panel discussion topics ranged from telehealth to consumer healthcare costs. Starkey President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Chief Health Officer Archelle Georgiou, MD, and Chief Innovation Officer Dave Fabry all presented information to educate participants about the strong connection between hearing and overall health.
Related article: UnitedHealthCare Launches 2021 Medicare Advantage Plans
“Hearing care IS health care. Period,” said Sawalich. “The ears play a critical role in overall health and wellness. We are working hard to change the conversation about hearing health care, to help people understand that better hearing isn’t a nice-to-have. If we have the ability to help someone overcome their hearing loss, that’s a must-have.”
“At Starkey, we are focused on driving awareness on the importance of hearing health care,” said Georgiou. “Statistics show that people 65 and older are five times more likely to have hearing loss than those younger than 65. And, even with mild hearing loss, the risk of dementia doubles.”
Starkey’s technologies also support caregivers of the aging population, by creating technology to give them peace of mind. The recently released Thrive Care App “helps allow Livio Edge AI hearing aid wearers to share helpful information, like physical activity, hearing aid usage, and social engagement, with selected people.“
For more information about Starkey, please click here. To watch video of presentations and panel discussions that took place during the event, click here.
Source: Starkey
