The recent decision by pharmacy giant CVS Caremark to require employees who receive health insurance through the company to disclose their weight is raising red flags among patient privacy advocates, but it does reflect the need for companies to hold down health care costs.

Hearing loss that occurs gradually as you age (presbycusis) is common, according to the Mayo Clinic. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated one-third of people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 75 and close to one-half of those older than 75 have some degree of hearing loss.