Association Between Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Use and Cost Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss

Mahmoudi, Elham; Zazove, Philip; Meade, Michelle A.; McKee, Michael

doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2018.0273

Cited by 61 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…7 Meanwhile, the other study, which used a sample of 1336 individuals with serious difficulty hearing, reported decreased ED visits and hospitalizations among hearing aid users. 8 As with health care utilization, little is known about potential associations between hearing loss, hearing aid use, and medical costs. One study using MEPS data found a positive association between hearing loss and higher total medical expenditures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Reported Hearing Loss in Older Adults Is Associated With Higher Emergency Department Visits and Medical Costs

Wells

Bhattarai

et al. 2019

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Hearing loss is common among older adults. Thus, it was of interest to explore differences in health care utilization and costs associated with hearing loss and hearing aid use. Hearing loss and hearing aid use were assessed through self-reports and included 5 categories: no hearing loss, aided mild, unaided mild, aided severe, and unaided severe hearing loss. Health care utilization and costs were obtained from medical claims. Those with aided mild or severe hearing loss were significantly more likely to have an emergency department visit. Conversely, those with aided severe hearing loss were about 15% less likely to be hospitalized. Individuals with unaided severe hearing loss had the highest annual medical costs ($14349) compared with those with no hearing loss ($12118, P < .001). In this study, those with unaided severe hearing loss had the highest medical costs. Further studies should attempt to better understand the relationship between hearing loss, hearing aid use, and medical costs. What do we already know about this topic?Hearing loss is associated with a number of chronic conditions, including dementia and an increased risk for falls. How does your research contribute to the field?Most previous studies of the costs associated with hearing loss do not take into account the use of hearing aids. What are your research's implications toward theory, practice, or policy?We found that the use of hearing aids was associated with lower medical costs among those with severe self-reported hearing loss.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Reported Hearing Loss in Older Adults Is Associated With Higher Emergency Department Visits and Medical Costs

Wells

Bhattarai

et al. 2019

INQUIRY

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“…Previous research has suggested that hearing aid use may reduce Medicare spending. 11 However, our results suggest hearing care services may maximize the impact of hearing aids. Optimal hearing aid fittings may be especially important in healthcare given the importance of communication and the difficulty of the listening situation (ie, noisy, stressful).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…Previous research has suggested that hearing aid use may reduce Medicare spending . However, our results suggest hearing care services may maximize the impact of hearing aids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, the causal pathways between hearing and negative health outcomes may be modifiable via hearing care. Recent evidence suggests hearing aid use may mitigate the impact of hearing loss on cognitive decline, healthcare costs, and utilization . However, fewer than 20% of those with a hearing loss own and use hearing aids .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent evidence suggests hearing aid use may mitigate the impact of hearing loss on cognitive decline, 10 healthcare costs, and utilization. 11 However, fewer than 20% of those with a hearing loss own and use hearing aids. 12 High cost and a complicated pathway to obtain hearing aids and hearing care services may contribute to the low uptake of hearing care.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Cost‐Benefit Analysis of Hearing Care Services: What Is It Worth to Medicare?

Willink

Reed

Lin

2019

J American Geriatrics Society

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Objective Hearing care services for older adults with hearing aids are underutilized and are not covered by the Medicare program. Little information exists to the value of hearing care services for older adults with hearing aids. The objective of this analysis is to estimate the potential costs and benefits to the Medicare program of covering hearing care services. Design Cross‐sectional analysis using propensity score matching methods to create balanced and comparable groups. We conducted a 1:1 match of older Medicare beneficiaries with hearing aids who self‐reported use of hearing care services in the previous 12 months to those with hearing aids who did not use hearing care services. Groups were balanced on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as health status, functional impairment, and trouble hearing. We compared average total Medicare spending per person between matched groups, as well as by service type. Setting Nationally representative survey of Medicare beneficiaries in the United States (Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey) 2013. Participants Study participants were limited to those in the survey who reported using hearing aids in 2013 (n = 1120). Results Average annual Medicare spending was $8196 (95% confidence interval [CI] = $6670‐$9723) among Medicare beneficiaries who used hearing care services and $10,709 (95% CI = $8878‐$12,541) among matched controls who did not use hearing care services. Total spending per person was $2513 (95% CI = $150‐$4876) higher among those who did not use hearing care services, with spending differences driven mostly by higher‐skilled nursing facility (difference = $825; 95% CI = $193‐$1455) and home health (difference = $287; 95% CI = $7‐$568) spending among matched controls. Conclusion Utilization of hearing care services among older adults with hearing aids is associated with reduced Medicare spending. Increasing access to hearing care services among Medicare beneficiaries with hearing aids may provide value to the healthcare system and net savings to the Medicare program. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:784–789, 2019.

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Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Costs Among Older Adults

Wallhagen

2018

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg

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Association Between Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Use and Cost Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss

Cited by 61 publications

References 63 publications

Self-Reported Hearing Loss in Older Adults Is Associated With Higher Emergency Department Visits and Medical Costs

Self-Reported Hearing Loss in Older Adults Is Associated With Higher Emergency Department Visits and Medical Costs

Cost‐Benefit Analysis of Hearing Care Services: What Is It Worth to Medicare?

Hearing Aid Use and Health Care Costs Among Older Adults

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