Complete Our Appointment Request Form

*Required fields

Complete Our Appointment Request Form

BOOK APPOINTMENT

on health care

Real Talk: Ignoring Your Hearing Could
Increase Your Other Health Care Spending

A round blue icon enclosing a white bag that is tied near the top. A large dollar sign is on the front of the bag. This icon represents spending.

It's a Bit Alarming

A landmark 12-year John Hopkins study revealed:2

Four icons saying the following: 1. Greater Risk of developing dementia. 2. Increased Odds of having a fall. 3. More money spend on health care. 4. Greater Chance of a relationship breakdown.

Hospital Stays, ER Visits, Medication and Therapy. They all add up.

A photograph of a woman with long reddish hair. She's sitting on a stool, looking right at you. She has an interested look on her face.

What Have You Got to Lose?

Maybe a Lot.

Feeling overwhelmed? That’s okay. You don’t have to take it all in at once. But if you’re still avoiding hearing aids because you think they “make you look old,” ask yourself this:

Which is more noticeable: hearing aids, or constantly asking people to repeat themselves?

Book a FREE, no obligation hearing screening today.*

BOOK APPOINTMENT

Want to learn more about other risks of untreated hearing loss?

Check out these pages:

Risks of Dementia

Odds of Having a Fall

Relationship Breakdown

Sources

1. Lin FR, Metter EJ, O’Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and incident dementia. Arch Neurol. 2011 Feb. 2. Frank R. Lin,  MD,  PhD,  and  Luigi  Ferrucci,  MD,   PhD.  Hearing  Loss  and  Falls  Among  Older  Adults in the United States. February 27, 2013. 
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.  4. Bigelow RT, Reed NS, Brewster KK, et al. Association of Hearing Loss With Psychological Distress and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Adults in the United States. JAMA Netw Open. 2020. Published 2020 Jul 1. 5. Li, Jing et al. Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Long-Term Care by Dementia Status and Residential Setting among US Older Adults. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Volume 25, Issue 1. 6. Reider L, Falvey J, Okoye S, et al. Cost of U.S emergency department and inpatient visits for fall injuries in older adults.  Injury. February 2024. 7. Schwartz, Hope et al. Privately insured people with depression and anxiety face high out-of-pocket costs. June 23, 2023. The Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF Health System Tracker. 8. Reed NS, Altan A, Deal JA, et al. Trends in Health Care Costs and Utilization Associated With Untreated Hearing Loss Over 10 Years. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019. 9. Chang JE, Weinstein B, Chodosh J, Blustein J. Hospital Readmission Risk for Patients with Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Communication Trouble. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018;66(11):2227-2228. doi:10.1111/jgs.15545 10. Mahmoudi E, Zazove P, Meade M, McKee MM. Association Between Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Use and Cost Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018. 11. Amieva H, Ouvrard C, Giulioli C, Meillon C, Rullier L, Dartigues JF. Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-Year Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015. 12. Nicholas S. Reed, AuD, Aylin Altan, PhD, Jennifer A. Deal, PhD, Charlotte Yeh, MD, Alexander Kravetz, PharmD, Margaret Wallhagen RN, PhD, and Frank R. Lin MD, PhD. Trends in Healthcare Costs and Utilization Associated with Untreated Hearing Loss Over 10 Years. 13. Laura Campos, Allan Prochazka, Melinda Anderson, Alexander Kaizer, Carol Foster, Timothy Hullar. Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss. October 2023. 14. Mahafza MT, Wilson WJ, Brauer S, Timmer BHB, Hickson L. A Systematic Review of the Effect of Hearing Aids on Static and Dynamic Balance in Adults with Hearing Impairment. Trends Hear. 2022. 15. Mahmoudi, E., Basu, T., Langa, K., McKee, M. M., Zazove, P., Alexander, N., & Kamdar, N. (2019). Can hearing aids delay time to diagnosis of dementia, depression, or falls in older adults? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Hearing devices are subject to state and federal laws regarding conditions of sale, including, without limitation, in-person initial visits, direct observations, and testing/medical screenings (subject to exceptions). Terms, conditions and product features may vary based on location and product type. Free hearing screening available at participating locations only. *Some restrictions and limitations may apply (including, without limitation, additional terms and conditions found at https://www.beltone.com/en-us, participating locations, and applicable professional service fees or other charges in connection with tests, evaluations, and/or screenings). Benefits of hearing instruments may vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing screening and proper fit. © 2025 GN Hearing A/S. All rights reserved. Beltone is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S.

BOOK APPOINTMENT

It’s not a big leap to see how untreated hearing loss could increase your out-of-pocket health care spending in other areas. Just the increase in depression, dementia and falls connected to hearing loss could explain increased health care spending. And there are so many more health and wellness connections that could be contributing too.

A man sitting on a stool. He's leaning toward you with a look of interest on his face. The banner above includes a rectangle that encloses the words Real Talk. The headline is 46% more spent on health care.

Untreated hearing loss is connected to some of the most serious health issues we face 
as we age. No wonder it leads 
to higher hospital use and skyrocketing health care costs.

Understand the 
Risks of Ignoring 
Your Hearing
Loss


It’s hard to make a good 
decision about getting treatment for your hearing loss if you don’t have the whole picture.

What Have You

Got to Lose?

Maybe a Lot.

Feeling overwhelmed? That’s okay. You don’t have to take it all in at once. But if you’re still avoiding hearing aids because you think they “make you look old,” ask yourself this:

Which is more noticeable: hearing aids, or constantly asking people to repeat themselves?

Book a FREE, no obligation hearing screening today.* 

BOOK APPOINTMENT

Want to learn more about other risks of untreated hearing loss?Check out these pages:

Risk of Dementia

Odds of Having a Fall

Relationship Breakdown

A photograph of a woman with long reddish hair. She's sitting on a stool, looking right at you. She has an interested look on her face.

Sources

1. Lin FR, Metter EJ, O’Brien RJ, Resnick SM, Zonderman AB, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and incident dementia. Arch Neurol. 2011 Feb. 2. Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, and Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD. Hearing Loss and Falls Among Older Adults in the United States. February 27, 2013. 3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.  4. Bigelow RT, Reed NS, Brewster KK, et al. Association of Hearing Loss With Psychological Distress and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Adults in the United States. JAMA Netw  Open.  2020.  Published  2020 Jul 1. 
5. Li, Jing et al. Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Long-Term Care by Dementia Status and Residential Setting among US Older Adults. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Volume 25, Issue 1. 6. Reider L, Falvey J, Okoye S, et al. Cost of U.S emergency department and inpatient visits for fall injuries in older adults.  Injury. February 2024. 7. Schwartz, Hope et al. Privately insured people with depression and anxiety face high out-of-pocket costs. June 23, 2023. The Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF Health System Tracker. 8. Reed NS, Altan A, Deal JA, et al. Trends in Health Care Costs and Utilization Associated With Untreated Hearing Loss Over 10 Years. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019. 9. Chang JE, Weinstein B, Chodosh J, Blustein J. Hospital Readmission Risk for Patients with Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Communication Trouble. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018;66(11):2227-2228. doi:10.1111/jgs.15545 10. Mahmoudi E, Zazove P, Meade M, McKee MM. Association Between Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Use and Cost Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss. JAMA Otolaryngol    Head    Neck    Surg.     2018. 
11. Amieva H, Ouvrard C, Giulioli C, Meillon C, Rullier L, Dartigues JF. Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-Year Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015. 12. Nicholas S. Reed, AuD, Aylin Altan, PhD, Jennifer A. Deal, PhD, Charlotte Yeh, MD, Alexander Kravetz, PharmD, Margaret Wallhagen RN, PhD, and Frank R. Lin MD, PhD. Trends in Healthcare Costs and Utilization Associated with Untreated   Hearing   Loss  Over   10  Years. 
13. Laura Campos, Allan Prochazka, Melinda Anderson, Alexander Kaizer, Carol Foster, Timothy Hullar. Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss. October 2023. 14. Mahafza MT, Wilson WJ, Brauer S, Timmer BHB, Hickson L. A Systematic Review of the Effect of Hearing Aids on Static and Dynamic Balance in Adults with Hearing Impairment.        Trends        Hear.       2022. 
15. Mahmoudi, E., Basu, T., Langa, K., McKee, M. M., Zazove, P., Alexander, N., & Kamdar, N. (2019). Can hearing aids delay time to diagnosis of dementia, depression, or falls in older adults? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Hearing devices are subject to state and federal laws regarding conditions of sale, including, without limitation, in-person initial visits, direct observations, and testing/medical screenings (subject to exceptions). Terms, conditions and product features may vary based on location and product type. Free hearing screening available at participating locations only. *Some restrictions and limitations may apply (including, without limitation, additional terms and conditions found at https://www.beltone.com/en-us, participating locations, and applicable professional service fees or other charges in connection with tests, evaluations, and/or screenings). Benefits of hearing instruments may vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing screening and proper fit. © 2025 GN Hearing A/S. All rights reserved. Beltone is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S.

 46% more 

How Much Spending Are We Talking About?
  • 25% of the costs of care for dementia is out of pocket spending.5
  • Dementia care costs out of your pocket could be over $40,000 each year.5
  • Average cost per hospital inpatient visit for fall injuries is $18,658 and $1,112 per emergency room visit.6

spent on

health care

Dementia. Falls. Depression.

It's a Bit Alarming 


A landmark 12-year Johns Hopkins study revealed:2

A rectangular icon that says untreated hearing loss could increase your risk of paying more for other important health care by up to 46%.

While the exact mechanisms are still being studied, in news interviews the researchers shared strong theories:

How Much
Spending Are We
Talking About?

It all adds up.

And pretty quickly.

Hospital Stays, ER
Visits, Medication
and Therapy.
They all add up.
Dark blue banner with a man sitting on a stool. He's leaning toward you with a look of interest on his face. The banner includes a rectangle that encloses the words Real Talk. The headline is 46% more spent on health care.
  • Hearing loss is linked to increased depression, anxiety, 
and social isolation.4

It all adds up. And pretty quickly.

  • Even privately insured Americans with a mental health diagnosis spend almost twice as much on annual out-of-pocket costs compared to those without mental health diagnosis.7
Do Hearing Aids Help?
A rectangular icon that says untreated hearing loss could increase your risk of paying more for other important health care by up to 46%.
A large arrow pointing up. Text that says 46% higher health care costs for people with untreated hearing loss.

Do Hearing 

Aids Help? 

Regular, all-day use of hearing aids may cut your chances of having a fall almost in half.1,6 

But occasional use won’t protect you. Consistency is key.

Several studies have also shown the use of hearing aids improves balance in adults with hearing loss.7

 46% more spent 

Untreated hearing loss is connected to some of the most serious health issues we face as we age. No wonder it leads to higher hospital use and skyrocketing health care costs.

  • People with untreated hearing loss are up to 5X more likely 
to develop dementia.1
  • Even mild untreated hearing loss increases the odds of having a fall by at least 3X.2
  • Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older populations in the US.3
A large arrow pointing up. Text that says 46% higher health care costs for people with untreated hearing loss.
A medical cross icon with a person in a reclining chair or bed with the text more hospital stays and greater risk of being readmitted within 30 days.
A large icon of a prescription with a circle enclosing a dollar sign. Text says untreated hearing loss may contribute to depression, anxiety, and stress, and the medications and therapies required to manage these conditions further increase costs.

higher health care costs 
for people with untreated 
hearing loss8

More hospital stays 

and greater risk of being readmitted
within 30 days9

Untreated hearing loss may contribute
to depression, anxiety, and stress, and the medications and therapies required to manage these conditions further increase costs4

The bottom line? Untreated hearing loss can send your health—and your independence—spiraling.

  • Regular use of hearing aids may reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations.10
  • Long-term use of hearing aids has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline to the same level as people with normal hearing.11
  • Your odds of having a fall could be reduced significantly by daily use of hearing aids.12
  • For people at risk, wearing hearing aids has been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline by almost 50% over a three-year period.9
  • Consistent use of hearing aids could cut your chances of having a fall nearly in half.13
  • Several studies have also shown the use of hearing aids improves balance in adults with hearing loss.14
  • Using hearing aids lowers the risk of receiving a depression or anxiety diagnosis.15
  • As happens with many relationships, using hearing aids can improve communication with caregivers and health care staff as well as potentially creating better outcomes because instructions and questions can be clearly heard.

Dementia. Falls.

Depression.

  • People with untreated hearing loss are up to 

    5X more likely to 

    develop dementia.1
  • Even mild untreated hearing loss increases the odds of having a fall by at least 3X.2
  • Falls are the leading cause 
    of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older populations in 

    the US.3
  • Hearing loss is linked to increased depression, anxiety, and social isolation.4
  • 25% of the costs of care 
for dementia is out of 
pocket spending.5
  • Dementia care costs out 
of your pocket could be over $40,000 each year.5
  • Average cost per hospital inpatient visit for fall injuries is $18,658 and $1,112 per emergency room visit.6
  • Even privately insured Americans with a mental health diagnosis spend almost twice as much on annual out-of-pocket costs compared to those without mental health diagnosis.7

It’s not a big leap to see how untreated hearing loss could increase your out-of-pocket health care spending in other areas. Just the increase in depression, dementia and falls connected to hearing loss could explain increased health care spending. And there are so many more health and wellness connections that could be contributing too.

A medical cross icon with a person in a reclining chair or bed with the text more hospital stays and greater risk of being readmitted within 30 days.
A large icon of a prescription with a circle enclosing a dollar sign. Text says untreated hearing loss may contribute to depression, anxiety, and stress, and the medications and therapies required to manage these conditions further increase costs.

higher health care costs 
for people with untreated 
hearing loss8

More hospital stays 

and greater risk of being readmitted
within 30 days9

Untreated hearing loss may contribute
to depression, anxiety, and stress, and the medications and therapies required to manage these conditions further increase costs4

The bottom line? 
Untreated hearing loss can send your health—and your independence—spiraling.

  • Regular use of hearing aids may reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations.10
  • Long-term use of hearing aids has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline to the same level as people with normal hearing.11
  • For people at risk, wearing hearing aids has been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline by almost 50% over a three-year period.12
  • Consistent use of hearing aids could cut your chances of having a fall nearly 
in half.13
  • Several studies have also shown the use of hearing aids improves balance in adults with hearing loss.14
  • Using hearing aids lowers the risk of receiving a depression or anxiety diagnosis.15
  • As happens with many relationships, using 
hearing aids can improve communication with caregivers and health 
care staff as well as potentially creating better outcomes because instructions and questions can be clearly heard.

Real Talk:

Ignoring Your 

Hearing Loss

Could Increase

Your Other Health

Care Spending