Hearing loss and healthcare expenditures in the United States: evidence of a public health market failure

Hearing loss (HL) is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions worldwide, affecting approximately 48 million adults in the United States. Despite the availability of effective treatment technologies, hearing aid adoption remains persistently low, with only 14-30% of individuals who could benefit from hearing aids actually using them....

This study reinforces the systemic underutilisation of hearing healthcare in the US; audiologists should be aware of access and affordability barriers that prevent patients from seeking care, as these are structural rather than individual-level issues.

Documenting hearing loss care as a public health market failure builds an evidence base for policy reform, including insurance coverage mandates and expanded access, which could substantially reshape hearing healthcare demand and delivery.

1. 01Approximately 48 million US adults have hearing loss, yet hearing health services are significantly underutilised.
2. 02Analysis identifies a 'market failure' where standard economic forces fail to drive adequate hearing care uptake.
3. 03High out-of-pocket costs and limited insurance coverage are likely contributors to underutilisation.
4. 04Study uses US healthcare expenditure data to quantify the gap between need and service use.
5. 05Authors argue the findings support a case for public health intervention or policy change.

PMID

42338529

DOI

10.3389/fpubh.2026.1829845.

Journal

Frontiers in Public Health

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

US adult population with hearing loss; national healthcare expenditure datasets

Intervention

Analysis of hearing health service utilisation and expenditure patterns