Untreated Hearing Loss Leads to Increased Healthcare Costs

For those who need convincing that hearing aids are worth the investment, today’s hearing statistic is one data point among many that should help convince you they are.

A recent investigation on healthcare cost trends concluded that older adults with untreated hearing loss used healthcare services more — and subsequently spent more on healthcare — than peers without hearing loss over a 10-year period.

A New York Times article noted that this 10-year increase amounted to spending 46 percent more on healthcare, as it included factors such as increased hospital readmissions.

This is a rare data point that touches on the financial implications of untreated hearing loss. But there are countless ones that prove the many quality-of-life consequences of letting hearing loss go untreated, from decreased cognitive function, higher incidences of falls and depression, and increased risk of social isolation and dementia, just to name a few.

In fact, that same New York Times article referenced above pretty much spells it out in the article’s title, “Hearing Loss Threatens Mind, Life and Limb” — which, without even reading the article, should also help convince you that hearing aids are worth the investment.