Batteries only cost a quarter if you buy in bulk. So a hospital could buy single packs of all four kinds and not go into bankruptcy, even if they have to re-stock yearly. Poster above points out you can buy 48 batteries for $9, so a hospital could get a generous supply (192) of all four sizes for approximately $36, easily. Also, I offered to walk across a parking lot and buy my own from a pharmacy and the hospital told me that if I did that they would discharge me.

So again, even if a hospital throws out $36 worth of unused batteries every year, I don't see how that is a financial hardship. Matter of fact, last time I went to an emergency room the doctor was going to replace my gastric feeding tube but then decided against it. He had a replacement tube ready to put in me, but when he decided to leave my old tube in place, the hospital for some reason decided to GIVE me the unused gastric tube that they almost installed in me, even though it had not even been taken out of the package. They handed me the unused gastric tube still in its package as I was leaving. I can post an image of it if you don't believe me. So hospitals throw out unused items all the time. If they can afford to give away an unused feeding tube, I don't see why they can't afford to throw out unused hearing aid batteries.