Workers' Compensation Costs for Occupational Hearing Loss Claims in the United States, 2009-2013

This study estimated the average annual number of U.S. workers' compensation (WC) claims for occupational hearing loss (OHL) and their associated cost and identified the industry/occupation classifications with the highest numbers of OHL claims. The most recent U.S. cost estimate ($242 million) was based on data from one state in 1 year (1991). WC data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (35 states) and two additional individual states were examined, incorporating data from 37 states and the District of Columbia. Costs and numbers of claims were estimated for the 13 missing states to develop estimates for the United States. Sensitivity analyses were also performed to develop ranges for the point estimates. The estimated U.S. average annual OHL claim cost fell within the range of $49 to $67 million during 2009-2013, with a point estimate of $60 million (2013 dollars). The estimated average annual number of OHL claims ranged from 4,114 to 5,986, with a point estimate of 4,965 claims. Based on data available from 36 states and DC, 18 of the 40 industry/occupation classifications with ≥50 OHL claims were in the manufacturing sector. WC data underestimate the true burden of OHL. Most OHL cases are not compensated. WC laws, industry composition and other factors vary widely by state, so estimates must employ data for many states. This study incorporated data from most states and utilized sensitivity and comparative analyses to obtain estimates. Workers in a wide range of industry/occupation classifications need special attention to prevent OHL.