Hearing aids now available over the counter. What you should know before buying them
Hearing aids are now available over the counter at retail stores nationwide due to a ruling made by the Food and Drug Administration this month. Now consumers 18 years and older with mild-to-moderate hearing loss can purchase hearing aids from tech companies without a prescription or a visit to an audiologist.
"Traditionally, people wait on average seven to ten years to do something about their hearing loss," Dr. Greg Horton said. Horton is the director of audiology at the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. He says one of the reasons for the neglect is the traditional costs of hearing aids.
The Biden administration hopes the ruling, part of the president's executive order on promoting competition in the American economy, will lower the average price of hearing aids by as much as $3,000 per pair.
Retailers like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Best Buy quickly provided options in the marketplace.
What to know before buying over-the-counter hearing aids
Dr. Horton recommends that people use "cautious optimism" regarding the devices.
"The devices that are available are not as sophisticated as prescriptive hearing aids," he said. "A big part of the success with hearing aids has to do with the collaboration between the patient and the hearing-health provider."
Some devices are being marketed as "listening devices" or "hearing amplifiers" because a company cannot classify a product as a hearing aid without FDA approval.
"If patients are purchasing these devices, they're going to want to make sure that there's some well-defined warranty, trial period, and return policy," Horton said.
Prescriptive hearing aids in New York state are required by law to give people a 45-day trial period. Over-the-counter devices have no similar regulations.
Horton suggests, first, that patients get a hearing test to learn how much hearing loss they have and what is causing the hearing loss before purchasing a hearing aid.
He advises patients to check their insurance to see if they qualify for more affordable prescriptive hearing devices.
Thirty million Americans experience hearing loss, including 10 million adults under age 60.
"I do think it's a good thing for the community at large," Horton said. "Of the people that could benefit from hearing aids, about 20% of them have actually acquired them. So, there's a huge gap, and people are not taking care of their hearing issues."
How much do over-the-counter hearing aids cost? Walmart, Best Buy, Walgreens and CVS prices
Best Buy has 20 different hearing devices available in-store and for curbside pick-up locally, ranging in price from $200 to $3,000.
Walgreens has hearing aids at stores nationwide and online for $799 per pair. According to the store, comparable models sold by specialists range from $2,000 to $8,000 a pair.
CVS and Walmart will offer in-store devices in November. Walmart's products range in price from $199 to $999 per pair; comparable prescription hearing aids are priced from $4,400 to $5,500 per pair.
Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Hearing aids available over the counter. What consumers should know
