NORTH TEXAS (WBAP/KLIF News ) – Over-the-counter hearing aids are now available in pharmacies and stores nationwide.
The Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for the devices to be sold without a doctor’s prescription back in August.
The rule applies to adults who have mild to moderate hearing impairment.
Sue Schneider partially lost her hearing decades ago and says the new normal is a double-edged sword.
“It’s wonderful that they’ve made them more accessible but even though you can walk in and buy them over the counter are they still going to be as costly as they are?” she said.
A set of hearing aids that are bought through an audiologist’s prescription typically cost about $2,000 – $3,000 and are not often covered by Medicare and health insurance.
According to Reuters, Walgreen’s is planning to sell a set of Lexie Lumen hearing aids for $799 and Walmart said it will sell the devices for $200.
The White House said millions of Americans could see almost $3,000 in savings if they choose to buy the over-the-counter devices.
The new development has many in the hearing-impaired community applauding the changes yet voicing concerns about potential quality issues with the over-the-counter devices.
“The low-cost hearing aids that you can buy in the past are very tinny. It would be wonderful if they could make one better quality where you could hear what people are saying and not pick up all the background noise,” said Schneider.
Hearing aid experts are urging consumers to shop around for the device that can serve them best in terms of quality and price.
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