inside
costco
Listen to the music of life
PEOPLE THINK NOTHING OF walking
around with Bluetooth headsets or iPod
headphones in their ears. Yet bring up the
notion of hearing aids and vanity takes
over. Since we’re already accustomed to
things in our ears, why not something with
real functionality?
Hearing loss is possible at any age, but
technology is available to help you add depth
and dimension to the sounds around you.
Now, Costco has something new to add to
your techno tools.
Available through Costco Hearing Aid
Centers, the new Kirkland Signature™
Premium Hearing Aids & Accessory Kit
offers exceptional value. The kit includes
two premium hearing aids with open-fit
technology, designed to eliminate the
“plugged-up” feeling of traditional aids.
They have three programmed settings for
various listening environments.
The kit also includes tubes, domes and
cleaning tools for proper maintenance, a hearing-aid dryer to safely and effectively remove
moisture, a sturdy carrying case, a user guide
and 30 batteries to power your hearing. It’s
everything you need to hear better. A Costco
Hearing Aid Center can arrange a quick
demonstration so you can hear for yourself.
To get these or any hearing aids, you
must first be tested, fitted and have the
aids programmed by a licensed professional. Costco offers these services
through in-warehouse Hearing Aid
Centers (see page 66 for locations).
And in the event your Kirkland
Signature Hearing Aids need service, they come with a rapid
repair/replacement program to get
your hearing back on track, usually
while you wait.
Purchasing a comparable package elsewhere could cost twice as
much. But the real benefits are priceless. Tammy Clark, a director for Costco
Hearing Aid Centers, heard confirmation of
this recently from a member.
“The woman approached and said, ‘Thank
you for giving me back my husband. You saved
my marriage,’ ” says Tammy. “Their relationship had been strained due to the frustration of
his hearing loss. She went on to say that he
picked up his hearing aids and they spent the
entire evening talking, until 2 in the morning!
“She gave me a hug and told me how
happy she was that her husband had finally
taken charge of the situation by getting hearing aids.”—Steve Fisher
New Kirkland Signature Premium
Hearing Aids come with the
accessories to provide great value
in your wallet and your ears.
Costco and Medicare Part D
MANY OF US are familiar with the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act that went into effect on
January 1, 2006. Part of that gigantic overhaul is Medicare Part D, a federal program to
subsidize, for the first time, the costs of pre-
Connecting
For more information on Costco’s plan, call
1-866-250-2005 or visit the pharmacy section of costco.com.
scription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries in
the United States.
The choices available in Part D are a bit
dizzying, to say the least. Consumers can
have up to 50 program choices, in hundreds
of combinations of deductibles, co-insurance
(the percentage consumers pay for each
drug), drug utilization techniques (trying
cheaper drugs first) and drug tiers, each with
its own co-payments (the flat amount consumers pay for each drug).
Co-payments can differ depending on
whether people buy generics, preferred
brands, non-preferred brands or specialty
drugs, and whether they buy from in-net-work or out-of-network pharmacies.
Into this fray steps Costco with its own
Medicare Part D program, which aims to
simplify the choices for members by applying the company’s successful warehouse
and online retail model to the medicinal
marketplace.
“This is a Medicare Part D prescription
drug plan at a Costco value,” says Chris
Pierce, Costco’s director of prescription benefit services. “The Costco model means the
emphasis on high quality is there, but, as
with our merchandise, there is a minimal
markup. There are real advantages for members compared to other Medicare Part D
offerings out there.”
Key differences include:
✔ Reduced co-pays at costco.com and at
Costco pharmacies.
✔ $0 co-pay for most generic drugs
obtained at costco.com and Costco
pharmacies, even through the so-called
“doughnut-hole” coverage gap.
✔ Coverage for a broad range of brand-name and generic drugs, including types
of medications typically not covered
under Medicare, such as certain sleep
medications, anti-anxiety medications
and erectile dysfunction medications.
✔ Coverage includes 30- and 90-day supplies of medications.
The program is the result of a partnership with Envision Pharmaceutical Services.
“If members have any questions about
whether this is the best program for them, I
encourage them to obtain a list of the medications they take from their pharmacist and
then call 1-866-250-2005. We can work with
them to evaluate if this program is a good
match for their needs,” says Chris.
