Hearing aids are expensive. On top of costing thousands of dollars, insurance almost never covers them. These battery-powered electronic devices, however, may hold the key to decreasing seniors’ visits to the hospital or the emergency room.

1. Hearing Aids May Reduce
ER and Hospital Visits in
Older Adults
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2. Hearing aids are expensive. On top of costing thousands of dollars, insurance almost never covers them.
These battery-powered electronic devices, however, may hold the key to decreasing seniors’ visits to the
hospital or the emergency room.
According to a study published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, elderly
individuals with severe loss of hearing do not have hearing aids. Those who have gotten one, however,
are less likely to use expensive types of care.
Impact despite Lack of Coverage
A team of researchers from the University of Michigan examined data from 1,336 older adults aged 65
to 85 who were suffering from severe hearing loss. They discovered that only 45 percent use a hearing
aid despite experiencing serious hearing difficulties. The rate is lower than those who live in the
Southern U.S., are Hispanic or African-American in origin, and with less education or low income.
After the team excluded those differences, they found that seniors with the electronic device were less
likely to have visited the E.R. or the hospital in the previous year. On top of that, hospitalized
individuals who used the device had shorter confinement times compared to people who did not use the
aid.

3. The authors saw that the link between hearing aid use and the lower use of costly care types was
surprising, given the inadequate insurance coverage for these devices.
Why Insurance Does Not Typically Cover Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are medical devices that could change the lives of millions of individuals. Despite the
benefits they offer, such as greater independence and improved quality of life, most private insurers do
not cover these helpful devices. According to an article by Healthy Hearing, insurance companies see
hearing aids as an elective instead of a lifeline. Another possible reason is that loss of hearing is not
historically an issue that has a powerful lobby or a strong voice. This health condition has yet to
transform into a widely discussed topic.
Advocacy Matters
Steve Murphy, executive director of Sertoma, an organization that offers philanthropy and service for
hearing health conditions, believes that people need to bring up hearing health issues to the forefront.
He adds that this will serve as a trigger for Congress and insurance companies to consider the kind of
changes that would put hearing problems on par with other important health issues, such as depression.

4. Sources:
• https://peakentandvoicecenter.com/
• https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52484-Why-aren-t-hearing-aids-covered-by-insurance
• https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2678187
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180426130033.htm