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People with mild to moderate hearing impairments will soon have access to over-the-counter hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam following an Aug. 16 final ruling from the US Food and Drug Administration.
These devices will be available online, at pharmacies and in retail stores. Big names like Best Buy have already announced plans to carry a selection of products this fall.
The new class of OTC devices — available as soon as mid-October — will be equipped with the same basic technology as traditional hearing aids but at a fraction of the cost, according to government officials.
Hearing aids can cost anywhere from $900 to $4,000 per ear. Many health insurance providers — including traditional Medicare — don’t cover the devices or hearing tests.
The new rule also cuts the red tape plaguing many consumers. Hearing aids are currently only available with a prescription from an audiologist or a hearing health specialist. Multiple appointments are usually required, from consultations to fitting adjustments.
So how are over-the-counter hearing aids different?
Here’s what you need to know.
How Much Will Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Cost?
Over-the-counter hearing aids haven’t hit store shelves yet, so it’s hard to say how much they’ll cost.
Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, said OTC devices could save consumers about $2,876 on average for a pair of hearing aids.
A Harvard Medical School news brief from January 2022 noted that if the long-awaited FDA final ruling took effect, OTC hearing aids could cost “about $600 per pair instead of the average $5,000.”
But realistically, it’s hard to predict the cost right now.
Competition from manufacturers is expected to drive prices down. But by how much or how quickly is still anyone’s guess.
Lawmakers and advocacy groups like AARP have fought for years to lower the cost of hearing aids and make them more accessible.
Under the current system,…
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