Hearing Aids

man holds his hand near ear and listens carefully alphabet letters flying in isolated on gray wall background

For The First Time For the first time ever, hearing aids may now be purchased over-the-counter at U.S. retailers. It’s due to an new FDA rule that went into effect on Monday, allowing adults to buy hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam. The change is also expected to dramatically reduce the cost of hearing aids, by as much as $3,000 per pair. Some of the retailers now offering OTC hearing aids include Walgreens, Walmart, and Best Buy, with CVS set to join the list next month. What kind of an impact will this have on older Americans? Those of you who have used hearing aids: what are some things we might not know about the difficulty buying or using them?

Starting today: Americans can buy hearing aids over the counter, without a prescription or exam.

This will lower the price of a pair by nearly $3,000 – providing more breathing room for an estimated 30 million Americans. pic.twitter.com/u5U1vF2EbV

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 17, 2022