Forbes Health: Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids Update

Published by Deb Hipp

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Some people avoid purchasing hearing aids because of their hefty price tags: Costs for a single hearing aid range from hundreds of dollars to more than $4,000, and Medicare and most private insurers often don’t cover the expense. Not surprisingly, affordability is a “significant barrier” to purchasing hearing aids, according to a paper in The Hearing Journal, a hearing health care publication.

However, the types (and prices) of hearing aids available to consumers could soon change. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of drafting proposed regulations for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, a brand-new category of hearing aids. Once approved and regulated, OTC hearing aids will likely be more affordable and accessible to consumers than most other FDA-approved hearing aids on the market right now.

Read the full article on Forbes Health here.