If you struggle with mild to moderate hearing loss, you can now buy less expensive, over-the-counter hearing aids without a doctor’s exam or prescription.
A new Food and Drug Administration rule allows retail sales of hearing aids beginning Monday for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Regulators said the new rule should give millions of adults less expensive options and broaden access for those who can’t afford hearing aids.
A federal report estimated 28.8 million people could benefit from a hearing aid, but only about 1 in 5 people with hearing loss use a hearing aid. Aging, exposure to loud noises, medical conditions and other factors contribute to hearing loss. Hearing aids can help make speech and sounds louder and allow people to better communicate.
Major retailers such as Walgreens, CVS and Best Buy plan to sell hearing aids, which should give consumers plenty of options on which brands and models to choose.
BACKGROUND: FDA allows over-the-counter sales of hearing aids
MORE: What people with hearing aids wish you knew: ‘Our struggles don’t discount us’
How much can consumers expect to save?
Some hearing aids cost more than $5,000 between the price of the device and a professional fitting. Medicare covers a diagnostic test but does not pay for the device. With the new rule, officials estimate the new class of devices would save consumers thousands of dollars for a pair of hearing aids.
Where will retail hearing aids be sold?
Walgreens: The chain pharmacy and Lexie Hearing announced that Walgreens will begin selling hearing aids at stores nationwide and online for $799 per pair.
CVS: Will offer retail hearing aids on CVS.com with prices on varying brands and models from about $200 to $999. The devices are not available in stores right now, but some CVS pharmacy locations will being selling the devices in November.
Best Buy: As of Monday morning, the store has more than a dozen models listed on its website and some locations at various prices. The consumer electronics retailer will begin carrying the devices at more stores this month.
Hy-Vee: Will sell hearing aids online and in stores in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The retailer will expand the number of stores carrying the devices later this year.
Who can buy these devices?
Millions of Americans suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss. However, over-the-counter devices are not meant for people with more severe types of hearing loss or children.
People with mild hearing loss can hear some speech but have difficulty hearing soft sounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A person with moderate hearing loss may not hear a person who talks at a normal level.
Older adults are more likely to have hearing loss. Nearly 1 in 4 of adults aged 65 to 74 and 1 in 2 of those 75 and older have disabling hearing loss, according to federal estimates.
People should seek medical care if they have more complex hearing loss or symptoms such as discomfort or bleeding, officials said.
What types of hearing aids will be available?
The FDA rule is for “air-conduction” hearing aids fitted behind or inside the ear.
The rule requires retail hearing aids to have lower maximum sound and user-adjustable volume controls. The new rule also limits how deep the device can be placed in the ear canal. Manufacturers must meet performance and device design specification to sell the retail devices.
Ken Alltucker is on Twitter as @kalltucker or can be emailed at alltuck@usatoday.com.
