A hearing aid is a life changing solution for millions of Americans with hearing loss. Patients who are not covered by Medicare or available over-the-counter have to pay a large amount of money to get a doctor's approval. The FDA says it will create a new class of hearing aids that can be purchased without a prescription.
Anyone with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to get a hearing aid without an exam or prescription in October. Those with severe hearing loss that need a more advanced aid will still have to go through the usual hurdles.
The FDA estimates that 30 million adults in the US could benefit from the use of a hearing aid, but with the cost of entry as high as $5,000, they aren't more widespread.
According to one government estimate, that type of price tag could be cut in half. It's difficult to say how prices will change until products are on the market.
Jeffrey Shuren, FDA medical device chief, told the Associated Press that it was difficult to predict what would happen.
It isn't unwarranted to be optimistic in light of the FDA's ruling Anyone with hearing issues will be able to buy hearing aids, no longer limited to those with prescriptions. It's possible that more companies will enter the hearing aid space and give the current giants a run for their money.
Nicholas Reed said that this could change technology.
He didn't know what the companies would come up with. We may be able to see how hearing aids work.
We will have to wait and see if the ruling means better, cheaper hearing aids for all, or if it means an influx of predatory companies looking to make a quick buck on a product.
MIT scientists say they have invented a treatment that reverses hearing loss.
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