U-Haul Kids Program Provides 24/7 Access to a Free Consultation with a Physician and Free Medication

PHOENIX, April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul International, Inc. introduces its U-Haul Kids Program today, which will provide two unprecedented resources to full-time and part-time U-Haul Team members alike:  First, free access to doctor consultations for common childhood illnesses for any children 12 and in their care - 24/7, 365 days a year; second, any medications prescribed through the consultation are also free and to be paid for entirely by U-Haul.

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U-Haul, like many other companies, had to take a fresh look at the challenges faced by its team members and their families in the wake of a myriad of changes in the health-care system.  The U-Haul Kids Program was designed under the Company's philosophy of Improving Life – Work Balance.  Many U-Haul Team members are caregivers for young children, and often struggle to balance work and home life. 

"When you are caring for a sick child, the balance you strive to create between your work and personal life is always affected, and this can be very stressful," stated Edward "Joe" Shoen, chairman, U-Haul International, Inc. "The U-Haul Kids Program will provide our families with quality, timely, affordable care for their children."

The program gives U-Haul Team members the opportunity to speak with a board-certified physician regarding a child at any time and at no charge via telephone or internet video chat.  No more waiting for the doctor's office to open, or sitting in the waiting room amongst fellow patients with potentially contagious conditions, or waiting in long lines for an urgent care/emergency room visit, as access to a virtual doctor is available 24/7, 365 days a year.  Plus, any medication prescribed during the consultation will be paid for entirely by U-Haul. 

"Since this is National Public Health Week, we feel it made it perfect sense to introduce the program to our team now since it's consistent with this week's initiatives." added Shoen.

"The U-Haul Kids Program was the right thing for us to do to in order to take care of our family of team members," Shoen commented.  "The program will allow U-Haul Team members to utilize the free virtual service from the comfort of their home, avoiding the delay and expense of emergency rooms and urgent-care clinics.  Plus, U-Haul Team members will not have to pay any out-of-pocket fees, including any fees for any prescription that may be administered," he added.

"We are trying to undertake a new approach to caring for our team, an approach that improves both access and quality to care, while increasing our team's ability to serve customers – all without raising our individual or collective costs," explained Stuart Shoen, executive vice president, U-Haul International, Inc. 

"All of our team members demand practical, meaningful and significant solutions that are not complicated by political parties or election cycles," continued Stuart Shoen.  "The U-Haul Kids Program was designed for conditions that most commonly keep kids out of school or day care, which can also cause parents to miss work."

U-Haul does offer federally compliant health-care plans with progressive approaches, such as health savings accounts (HSAs) for its team members.  However, the U-Haul Kids Program is not a part of the Company's health-care program; instead, it was designed under the Company's philosophy of Improving Life – Work Balance, which is aimed at easing the strain that occasionally occurs when personal and professional lives become unbalanced. 

"Lawmakers get performance reviews every four years; U-Haul and its team members get reviewed every day by our customers.  Accordingly, our team needs an everyday solution – one that works and isn't subject to an ever-changing political climate," added Stuart Shoen.  "The U-Haul Kids Program is a non-political solution. The program benefits every team member whether or not they have children in their care because it will allow more team members to stay in good health and continue serving customers – which is how all of us are able to put food on the table."

The doctor will be able to treat and prescribe medications for the following health issues, which are considered the most common childhood illnesses. (Children under two years of age will be diagnosed, but prescriptions cannot be written for them.)

• Colds and flu               
• Nausea and fevers
• Ear and sinus infections
• Rashes
• Pink eyes
• Sore and strep throats
• Upper respiratory infections
• Urinary tract infections

U-Haul is making this program available to all full-time and part-time U.S. team members who have completed at least 90 days of service.

About U-Haul
U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."  Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel-efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material and packing peanuts that are 100% biodegradable.  Learn more about these facts and others at uhaul.com/sustainability.

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the choice for the do-it-yourself mover. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain the largest rental fleet in the do-it-yourself moving industry which includes trucks, trailers and towing devices. U-Haul also offers storage throughout North America. The Company provides industry leading moving and storage boxes and an extended line of packing supplies to protect customer possessions. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket. The Company supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard grills as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.

Contact:
Joanne Fried
Ashleigh Wagner
U-Haul Public Relations
(602) 263-6194
[email protected]

SOURCE U-Haul