What is the prevalence of hearing loss today? One-third of adults between 65 and 75 have age-related hearing loss. Further, 40-50% of adults aged 75 and older have age-related hearing loss, with 50% of those aged 85+. This is the result of changes in blood flow and the structures of the inner ear, changes to a nerve related to hearing, and changes to how the brain processes speech and sounds. Learn more.
Hearing loss is correctable – but many older adults avoid hearing aids or don’t wear them. Many older adults with untreated hearing loss are at risk of developing dementia. Despite the fact that hearing aids can improve hearing and reverse the social isolation and dementia that can result from hearing loss, most adults with hearing loss do not use hearing aids – or defer their use for as many as ten years following its onset. Learn more.
Ending insurance non-coverage of hearing aids. Today there is a bill in Congress that eliminates the exclusion of hearing aids from Medicare coverage. Oddly, this exclusion, based on 1965’s Medicare, was because these extremely useful tools were not (originally) viewed as ‘medical’ enough for Medicare. Today many Medicare Advantage plans cover at least a portion of the $2500-3000/pair cost of hearing aids. With built in AI, fall detection and other features, they can cost substantially more. Many sold ‘over the counter’ today at stores like Costco and Sam’s cost substantially less. Learn more.
WSJ Review of Nuance Audio - Eyeglasses With Built-In Hearing Aids. The glasses connect wirelessly to a mobile app where you can tweak volume and choose from four presets that amplify different frequencies. You can also toggle between picking up sounds from the direction you’re facing or sounds from all around your head. And for many with mild to moderate hearing loss, hearables can provide enough improvement -- at least for a period of time. Learn more.
Latest in cochlear implant innovation – AI sound processing. For some individuals, even the best hearing aids are not that effective, due to inner ear or auditory nerve damage. Cochlear implants, typically covered by insurance, today have AI-driven sound processing, which responds to varying environments. The smart systems dynamically modify volume and definition, enabling patients to hear naturally in noisy settings. Learn more.
Fully implantable devices are in development. Cochlear implants have, until now, involved an external microphone or device worn on the side of the head, and as a result, the wear usually cannot swim, bathe, sleep, or play a variety of sports with this machinery on. But research is underway to develop a fully implantable device. The work, developed by Columbia Engineering, is the result of collaboration between MIT and Harvard Medical. Learn more.
