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Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Semin Hear
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1812037
Review Article

Financial Influences Linked to Hearing Aid Purchases

Authors

  • Ian M. Windmill

    1   Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
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Abstract

One of the factors that is presumed to influence the decision to obtain hearing aids is the cost of the product. The MarkeTrak 2025 surveyed individuals on a variety of factors about their decision to seek, or not seek, amplification, including the financial implications. The survey included 1,173 hearing aid owners, either prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) devices, and 1,782 non-owners of hearing aids. Key financial factors identified in the survey included differences in demographics between those choosing prescription hearing aids and OTC devices, the impact of insurance coverage on decision to pursue amplification, and the continued conflation of hearing care with hearing aids. Owners of prescription hearing aids tended to be older, white, and had higher income levels. Conversely, owners of OTC devices were younger, still working, included more non-white individuals, and had lower income levels. Non-owners are demographically similar to those individuals who chose OTC devices.

Keywords

cost - hearing aids - over-the-counter - insurance


Publication History

Article published online:
03 October 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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