Page 8 - Healthcare News July/August 2022

EYE & EAR
Volume Sales
Over-the-counter Hearing Aids Expected to Hit the Market in October
BAy JOSEPH BEDNAR
bout 30 million adults in the U.S. could benefit from the use of a hearing aid. But, according to a survey by the Hearing Health Foundation, only about 14% of Americans with hearing loss
actually use such a device.
The National Academy of Sciences has noted four main reasons why.
For some, hearing healthcare is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or people don’t know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma of hearing loss, while others don’t recognize they need care, as hearing loss is tends to worsen gradually over time.
The issues of cost and access may improve, however, thanks to a final rule issued on Aug. 16 by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), es- tablishing a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling
consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment to pur- chase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers without the need for a medical exam, prescription, or a fitting adjustment by an audiologist.
The rule is expected to lower the cost of hearing aids, said President Biden, who had issued an executive order calling for the FDA to take steps to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter and setting a 120-day deadline for action, which the FDA met. In 2017, Congress passed biparti- san legislation requiring the FDA to create a category of OTC hearing aids, but this is the first time it will be implemented. Consumers could see OTC hearing aids available in traditional retail and drugstores as soon as mid- October, when the rule takes effect.
“Reducing healthcare costs in America has been a priority of mine since day one, and this rule is expected to help us achieve quality, affordable healthcare access for millions of Americans in need,” U.S. Health and Hu- man Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said, adding that the FDA’s action
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