Starting today, millions of Americans can buy less-expensive hearing aids over the counter. Here's what to know about the new policy.
Pete Couste said it was his wife who first noticed that he was turning up the TV louder than she liked.
Now, instead of getting a prescription and having a custom fitting with a hearing health professional, adults can buy hearing aids directly from a store or online. Some doctors estimate that 90% of the population with hearing loss could benefit from these over-the-counter devices."We've been working for years for affordable and accessible hearing health care," said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America.
The FDA rule allowing for over-the-counter hearing aids didn't change how the devices are covered. While private insurers pay for treatment after the loss of a limb or even cover the cost of Viagra, most do not cover hearing aids. Most Medicare plans won't pay for them, either. Only about half of state Medicaid programs do.
Best Buy says that nearly 300 of its stores will offer a"hearing experience," which will include about 10 over-the-counter hearing aids and PSAPs, or personal sound amplification products. Those enhance sound but don't need to meet FDA standards, unlike hearing aids, which have to meet the FDA's high standards for labeling, manufacturing and safety, like other medical devices.
There's a link between hearing loss and general frailty and an increasing risk of falls, which are the second leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Association.
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