Hearing Industries Association Releases Report for Second Quarter 2008

Hearing Industries Association released its quarterly statistical report of U.S. hearing instrument sales for the second quarter of 2008 with twenty-one companies reporting data.

Based on this survey of member companies, the commercial (non-Veteran's Administration) market was up 21,279 units from the previous quarter, but flat when compared to the same time period last year with less than a 1% decrease Q2 2008 over Q2 2007. VA dispensing activity continued to increase, with a 9% increase Q2 2008 over Q2 2007. Instruments sold to the VA accounted for 15% of the market this quarter. Overall, these numbers totaled just under a 1% increase overall for the combined U.S. hearing instrument market for Q2 2008 as compared to Q2 2007, with 629,002 instruments reported as sold.

The percentage of custom v. Behind-the-Ear (BTE) instruments over time shows a continued growing favor for BTE instruments, which made up 57% of the U.S. hearing instrument market in Q2 2008. BTE instruments comprised 55% of the market last quarter and 51% for all quarters combined 2007. Average return rate was 15% for Q2 2008, steady when compared to 14% the previous quarter and 14% for the same period last year.