Tuned's Blog | Economics, Structure, and Disruption in the U.S. Hearing Aid Market (2025)

Why This Matters
‍

Too many Americans with hearing loss still aren’t getting the help they need. Why? For decades, the hearing aid market has been dominated by a handful of manufacturers, creating inflated prices, restrictive benefit models, and limited innovation. But change is coming.

Market Control and Structure

As of 2025, about 60% of private U.S. hearing aid clinics are owned by just a few global manufacturers like Sonova, Demant, GN, and WS Audiology. Less than 40% of the market is now in the hands of independent clinics. This deep vertical integration gives a select group outsized control over pricing, distribution, and patient experience (GrandViewResearch, Hearing Review).

The Cost Burden

• 1980: Hearing aids = 1% of average household income.

• 2025: Hearing aids = >4% of household income.

• Meanwhile, eyeglasses and dental crowns have remained below 3%—despite major technological improvements (Hearing Tracker, AARP).

Untreated Hearing Loss
‍

Only 28–30% of Americans who could benefit from prescription hearing aids (not including OTC options or VA channels) are using them. Stigma plays a role, but high costs, limited coverage, and a narrow “benefit” mindset are bigger hurdles (MarkeTrak, JAMA).
‍

Manufacturer Rationale Vs. Reality
‍

Manufacturers often claim that high prices reflect R&D and service costs; however, the reality is that major hearing aid companies invest just 5–10% of revenue in research and development, on par with or below the broader medtech sector. Devices costing $150–$300 to manufacture are routinely sold for $4,000 and up (Hearing Health Foundation, LA Times).
‍

Apple, Tuned, and the New Hearing Health Revolution
‍

Apple's AirPods (with accessibility features like Conversation Boost) have turned the OTC hearing world upside down. For $250–$300, millions now get reliable hearing support at a tenth of the price set by legacy manufacturers (NY Times, NCOA).
‍

Employee Hearing Benefits Get a Makeover:

Where employer-sponsored hearing benefits were once little more than manufacturer-tied coupon programs, with most leading providers ultimately controlled by a handful of dominant manufacturers, they focus exclusively on facilitating hearing aid sales, mainly serving those with severe hearing loss.

Now, modern platforms like Tuned offer a true digital-first benefit: comprehensive prevention, screening, tinnitus and balance management, telehealth audiology, pediatric support, and care for all levels of hearing loss, not just those qualifying for hearing aids (HR Dive, Benefit News).
‍

This shift isn’t just about technology. It’s about fundamentally redefining what hearing health means at work, helping more people, and bringing real value to employers.
‍

What Needs to Happen
‍

• End market over-consolidation and increase price transparency.

• Insist on insurance and benefit designs that include prevention and care for mild and moderate hearing loss—not just as a backstop for hearing aid sales.

• Support scalable, digital-first, and consumer-driven models that deliver true value and engagement.
‍

Final Thought
‍

America’s hearing health ecosystem can be affordable and inclusive. Apple and Tuned have each shown—at scale—that it’s possible. Let’s not settle for legacy excuses when there are pragmatic, proven paths to better outcomes for all.
‍

*Sources:

GrandViewResearch: U.S. Hearing Aid Market

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/us-hearing-aid-dispensers-market-report

Hearing Review: Independent Clinic Market

https://hearingreview.com/practice-building/practice-management/continuing-education/blog-independent-hearing-aid-dispenser

Hearing Tracker: Hearing Aid Cost in 2025

https://www.hearingtracker.com/how-much-do-hearing-aids-cost

AARP: How to Keep Hearing Aid Costs Down

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-to-keep-hearing-aid-costs-prices-down

MarkeTrak: Hearing Aid Penetration

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715310/

JAMA: Hearing Aid Use in the U.S.