Cost of Hearing Aids vs Cost of an Untreated Hearing Loss
When an individual considers treating their hearing loss with hearing aids, most will focus in on the price of hearing aids. BUT what should be focused on is the cost of not treating their hearing loss.
A study consisting of 4,728 people, led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, were followed for 10 years. Half of the people in this study had an untreated hearing loss. What they found is that over a 10-year period, the individuals with an untreated hearing loss paid $22,434 more per person in total health costs. What that means is that those who did not treat their hearing loss paid an extra $2,243.40 a year for medical care. More so, those with the untreated hearing loss had 40% higher odds of hospitalizations and repeat admissions. Also, they were 17% more likely to have an emergency room visit and have about 52 more outpatient visits.
At this point, you may be asking yourself “Why?” Well, an untreated hearing loss is associated with significantly higher risks of certain health conditions. These health conditions include accelerated cognitive decline, dementia, depression, lower quality of life, and accidental falls. So, these people with the untreated hearing loss were paying thousands of dollars just to treat the side effects that go along with having an untreated hearing loss.
So, when one considers the cost of hearing aids versus what they will, on average, pay in extra medical costs over a 10-year period, hearing aids seem to be the less costly option.
To explore what options you have for treating your hearing loss and saving about $22,434 over a 10-year period, call (814) 941-7770 to schedule a hearing aid consultation with our Audiologists. We are always available to you for your hearing health care.
