FDA unveils plans to offer over the counter hearing aids – Spectrum News 1
RICHMOND, Ky. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a proposal this week to help those who struggle to hear and can’t afford a hearing aid, which often cost thousands of dollars.
What You Need To Know
More than 37 million Americans have trouble hearing, according to the FDA
The FDA unveiled their proposal to allow people to buy hearing aids with a prescription this week
When finalized, U.S. officials say the FDA change could bring down prices and create competition
The FDA…….
RICHMOND, Ky. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a proposal this week to help those who struggle to hear and can’t afford a hearing aid, which often cost thousands of dollars.
What You Need To Know
- More than 37 million Americans have trouble hearing, according to the FDA
- The FDA unveiled their proposal to allow people to buy hearing aids with a prescription this week
- When finalized, U.S. officials say the FDA change could bring down prices and create competition
- The FDA’s new rule is in a 90 day period for public comment
On Tuesday, the FDA outlined out a plan to make hearing aids available over the counter at pharmacies, ordered online, and sold at other retail stores.
More than 37 million Americans have trouble hearing according to the FDA, but only about one fifth of people who can benefit from a hearing aid use one.
When Caitlin Chambers was 14 years old, the Shelbyville woman began to lose her hearing after being diagnosed with Otosclerosis, a disorder that causes hearing loss due to the ear’s ability to amplify noise.
“It’s something people don’t think about, but I feel like they definitely should because it does effect quite a lot of people,” Chambers said. “If you look at me, you would never understand that I have a hearing impairment.”
The 21-year-old said her quality of life has greatly increased since she received her own hearing aid four years ago. Since her condition has progressively gotten worse over the years, she’s in need of a second hearing aid.
“I’m making the best of what I have with the one hearing aid that I have and right now its going OK, but I have a feeling that I just don’t notice how bad my hearing is until I get the second one,” she said.
Cost is a big obstacle for many. The Eastern Kentucky University college student’s parents had to pay thousands of dollars to get one of the tiny devices. Insurance is often limited, and Medicare doesn’t pay for hearing aids.
“Before insurance kicked in it was $6,000 and then after insurance covered it was $3,000,” Chambers said.
Fortunately, it could soon be much easier, and potentially cheaper, for many like Chambers to get an affordable hearing aid.
The FDA’s proposal would allow retail and online businesses to sell certain hearing aids to adults with mild to moderate hearing loss without a prescription or medical exam.
Chambers believes this would be a game changer in allowing the devices to be more …….
