Help is now much easier and cheaper for many hearing-impaired Americans.
Hearing aids can now be sold without a professional prescription. Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, which began hitting the market in October, can cost thousands of dollars less than prescription hearing aids.
About 30 million people in the United States suffer from hearing loss, according to the Food and Drug Administration. However, only about 20% of people who can use hearing aids seek help.
Let’s take a closer look here:
who can help
Sterling Sheffield, Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Florida, shows an iPhone app that controls Bose hearing aids in Gainesville, Florida, Wednesday, November 30, 2022. OTC hearing aids are starting to hit the market. Sheffield is testing them after he got FDA approval in October for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alan Youngblood
Sterling Sheffield, Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Florida, shows prescription hearing aids in Gainesville, Florida, Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Over-the-counter hearing aids began hitting the market in October after being approved by the FDA. It is intended for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss and Sheffield has tested them. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alan Youngblood
of FDA approved OTC hearing aids For adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. This could include someone who can’t hear their phone, or who turns their TV so loud that other people complain.
It also includes people who have difficulty understanding group conversations in noisy places.
OTC hearing aids are not for people with severe hearing loss, such as those who have difficulty hearing loud noises such as power tools or cars. And it’s not for people with sudden or unilateral hearing loss, according to audiologist Sterling Sheffield, who teaches at the University of Florida. Such a person needs to see a doctor.
hearing test
Prior to over-the-counter purchases, it was usually necessary to undergo a hearing test and purchase hearing aids from a professional. No more.
However, it can be difficult for people to measure their own hearing. You can often consult a professional just for that test, which is covered by your insurance, and then purchase the aid yourself.
and many other apps questionnaire You can use it to determine if you need help. Some over-the-counter vendors also offer hearing assessments or online tests.
Seller
Several major retailers now offer OTC hearing aids online and on store shelves.
For example, Walgreens drugstores sell Lexie Lumen hearing aids nationwide for $799. Walmart offers his OTC hearing aids for about $200 to $1,000 per pair. The health center offers hearing tests.
Consumer electronics chain Best Buy sells OTC hearing aids online and in nearly 300 stores. The company also offers online hearing assessments, where store employees are trained on the stages of hearing loss and how to wear the device.
Overall, there are more than a dozen manufacturers producing different models of OTC hearing aids.
According to Sheffield, new devices will dominate as the OTC market develops. Some hearing aids used to require a prescription, and some are only suitable for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Catherine Palmer, a hearing expert at the University of Pittsburgh, says shoppers should expect a lot of devices to enter and exit the market.
“It’s going to take quite a while for this to settle down,” she said.
Things to watch out for
Look for the OTC label on the box. Hearing aids approved by the FDA for sale without a prescription must be labeled OTC.
This helps distinguish between OTC hearing aids and cheaper devices that are sometimes labeled as sound amplifiers or hearing aids. — called Personal Sound Amplification Products or PSAPs. Often marketed to the elderly, they are designed to make sound louder for people with normal hearing in certain environments such as hunting.The amplifiers are also FDA reviewed. not.
“People really need to read the description,” said Barbara Kelly, executive director of the American Association for the Hearing Loss.
And please check our return policy. This is important. Because people usually need a few weeks to get used to them and they will definitely work in situations where you need them most. This may include phone calls and noisy offices and restaurants.
Do companies that sell OTC devices offer instructions or apps to help with setup, fit, and sound adjustments? Professionals can help, but insurance rarely covers them Please do not expect to pay for that office visit.
Hearing aids aren’t complicated, says Sheffield, but wearing hearing aids isn’t as easy as wearing reading glasses.
“If you’ve never tried or worn hearing aids, you may need a little help,” he said.
cost
Most OTC hearing aids cost between $500 and $1,500 for a pair, says Sheffield. He pointed out that some people reach as high as $3,000.
And it’s not a one-time expense. You may need to replace it every five years or so.
Hearing experts say OTC prices could fall further as the market matures. But they’re already generally cheaper than prescription drugs, which can run upwards of $5,000.
The bad news is that hearing aid coverage is spotty. Some Medicare Advantage plans cover devices that require a prescription, but regular Medicare doesn’t. A variety of discounts are available, including discounts offered by Medicare Advantage insurer UnitedHealthcare in partnership with AARP.
Shoppers can also pay for the device with money stored in a medical savings account or flexible spending account.
Don’t try to save money by buying just one hearing aid. According to the Audiological Society of America, a person must have the same level of hearing in both ears to be able to understand where sound is coming from.
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Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter. @thpmurphy
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