LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Starting Monday, you can buy cheaper hearing aids over the counter without a prescription.
This comes after the FDA issued a new ruling.
The over-the-counter hearing aids will be available for mild to moderate hearing loss. You will not need a prescription, eye exam, or audiologist fitting.
30 million Americans suffer from hearing loss according to the White House, but the price tag can keep many of them from getting the help they need. Many insurance companies also don’t cover them.
Some doctors have concerns that this will lead people to self-diagnose. Audiologist Dr. Michael Iliff suggests getting an exam even if you don’t plan to shell out the money for prescription hearing aids.
"There still should be a hearing evaluation, most insurances cover that. That way you're making sure if there's something medically going on and there's something that needs to be treated by surgery, medication or even devices that are more sophisticated. We want to be able to give people those options,” Dr. Iliff said.
The FDA ruling does not apply to kids under 18, people with severe hearing loss or people who are deaf.
- Starting Monday, Walgreens is selling hearings aids at stores nationwide and online for $799 per pair. According to Walgreens, comparable models sold by specialists range from $2,000 to $8,000 a pair.
- Starting Monday, CVS will start selling over-the-counter hearing aids on CVS.com, with varying options on model and price point. CVS will also offer hearing aids in select CVS Pharmacy locations beginning in November.
- Starting Monday, Walmart will offer an assortment of over-the-counter hearing aids on Walmart.com, SamsClub.com, and in over 1,000 Vision Centers in Walmart stores across Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas, as well as 474 Sam’s Club Hearing Aid Center locations. Available products will range in price from $199 to $999 per pair, while according to Walmart, comparable prescription hearing aids are priced at $4,400 to $5,500 per pair.
- Starting this week, Best Buy will offer nearly 20 different hearing devices online. By the end of October, it will offer hearing aids in nearly 300 stores across the country. Devices will range in price between $200 and $3,000.
