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Hearing loss doesn’t just silence sound—it could contribute to cognitive decline,1 anxiety, sleep disruption, and reduced daily functioning.2 And yet, despite some of these possible consequences, hearing health often takes a back seat in patients’ overall wellness plans—until the toll becomes impossible to ignore.3
Recent studies show that adults with hearing loss face higher risks of falls1 and depression,4 while each 10-decibel decline in hearing is linked to roughly a 16% increase in dementia risk.5 The data is clear: untreated hearing loss doesn’t just affect communication; it could impact how we live, think, and connect.
So, why does hearing health so often take a back seat? Research from Synchrony’s “How Cost and Limited Awareness Impact Hearing Care Across Generations”3 highlights there are two primary motivating factors for surveyed consumers to get their hearing checked:
However, some 71% (18-55 years of age) of the survey respondents were unaware of the link between hearing health and dementia.3
Learning about how hearing health impacts overall well-being could help transform care perspectives from an expense to a vital investment in longevity.
Evaluating today’s hearing health landscape may help reveal why so many consumers could be struggling to act, even if they know the risks of delaying treatment. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition.6 By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss, with some 700 million requiring rehabilitation.7
The majority of surveyed consumers (70%) considered their hearing a priority, yet less than 10% visited an audiologist in 2023.3 For hearing providers, delay in treatment is visible in the exam room, with providers seeing more young adults with hearing impairments—and often not seeing them until their hearing is already impaired.3
Costs continue to be a barrier to pursuing treatment; in fact, 93% of surveyed providers reported out-of-pocket healthcare costs are increasing, and 70% said their patients are unable to schedule necessary care due to costs.8
When OTC hearing aids were launched, they promised easier access and affordability, but adoption has been slower than anticipated.9 The majority (80%) of hearing aid owners are satisfied with their hearing aid and generally express more satisfaction if they receive guidance from a hearing provider throughout their journey.10
More than one in four Americans have delayed buying a hearing aid or acting on a hearing care provider's recommendations due to costs, and financing options could play a crucial role in when and where consumers seek care.8
Payment pathways may include financial assistance programs, health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), or third-party financing options. Make sure to talk with your hearing care provider about all available options.
Still, there are challenges—surveyed consumers (45%) reported being confused on how to pay for out of pocket expenses and their payment options. And over half (59%) said a variety of payment options including special financing were very important in deciding where to pursue care.8 These concerns point to a clear need for more transparent, easy-to-understand educational financing resources.
The Fair Financing Principles were designed to meet that need and could benefit both consumers and providers. This resource offers a number of tools to help plan for care, including procedure and payment calculators, overviews of how financing works, and guidance on a sample billing statement.
Additionally, surveyed providers (53%) reported there aren’t enough healthcare payment solutions available to patients.8 These same resources, as well as featured provider perspectives, may help hearing care professionals guide patients with greater confidence, and discuss financing as part of proactive care—not just as a last resort.
Consumers could start their journey of planning for care with five key facts to know before financing health and wellness products and services, to help feel confident ahead of making decisions:
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Additionally, resources on how to navigate out of pocket expenses step-by-step before applying for a financing solution support transparent and meaningful conversations about costs.
If considering a financing option, like the CareCredit credit card, it's vital to understand the terms and conditions before signing up, and follow some key Do’s and Don’ts:
Navigating financing options doesn’t have to be confusing. Use the Fair Financing Principles as a trusted resource to support patients and providers in planning for care, and the costs of care, with confidence.
Making hearing health a priority starts with understanding both the cost of care and the available options to pay for it. Transparent, accessible financing options can help empower patients to pursue the hearing care and solutions they want, and educational resources can support taking the next step responsibly.
John Hopkins Medicine. The Hidden Risks of Hearing Loss. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss
Physician’s Hearing Center. The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Anxiety. July 29, 2025. Available at: https://heardothan.com/the-connection-between-hearing-loss-and-anxiety/#:\~:text=Trouble hearing can cause nervousness in situations,noisy places or when meeting new people
Synchrony. How Cost and Limited Awareness Impact Hearing Care Across Generations. May 2024. Available at: https://www.carecredit.com/sites/cc/pdf/Synchrony_CareCredit_Audiology_Infographic.pdf
Wei J, Li Y, Gui X. Association of hearing loss and risk of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neurol. 2024 Oct 21;15:1446262. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1446262.
Yu R-C, Proctor D, Soni J, et al.
Adult-onset hearing loss and incident cognitive impairment and dementia – A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Ageing Research Reviews. 2024;98:102346.
Victory J. Hearing loss statistics at a glance. Healthy Hearing. April, 2025. Available at: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52814-Hearing-loss-statistics-at-a-glance.
World Health Organization. Deafness and hearing loss. February, 2025. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss.
Synchrony. Healthcare Journey Research: Consumers and Providers. 2023. CareCredit is a Synchrony solution.
Frazer G. The Hearing Aid Revolution That Wasn’t. Pacific Hearing. July 2025. Available at: https://pacifichearinginc.com/patient-resources/hearing-aids/the-hearing-aid-revolution-that-wasnt
Sobek Dobyan B, Powers TA. MarkeTrak 2025: Hearing Care in the Era of OTCs and Wearables. Hearing Review. 2025;32(4):8-14. Available at: https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/research/marketrak-2025-hearing-aids-in-the-age-of-otcs-and-wearables.
Synchrony. Lifetime of Healthcare Costs Research. 2022. Available at: https://www.carecredit.com/sites/pc/pdf/lifetime-of-healthcare-costs.pdf
Amar Malik ist General Manager für Audiologie- und Visionsmärkte bei Synchrony und beaufsichtigt Allegro- und PayMonthly-Darlehen sowie die CareCredit-Kreditkarte. Mit fast sieben Jahren in dieser Position bringt er umfangreiches Fachwissen in Vertrieb, Einzelhandel und Loyalitätsmarketing mit, um das Wachstum von über 30.000 Anbietern zu unterstützen und dabei die Erfahrung von Anbietern und Patienten immer an erste Stelle zu setzen.
