Legislation led by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to allow for the over-the-counter sale of hearing aids to those with mild or moderate hearing loss was approved as part of the larger FDA reauthorization bill by the U.S. House on Thursday.
Blackburn introduced the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act with bipartisan support from U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA).
“This legislation is the first step to ensuring that millions of Americans can finally have access to affordable hearing aids,” Blackburn said. “Just as someone can correct minor sight loss by purchasing reading glasses from their local pharmacy, so too should they be able to correct minor hearing loss with an affordable and accessible hearing aid. This is a bipartisan, common sense solution the people want and need.”
Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, including more than half of those aged 70 to 79, but only an estimated 14 percent of those with hearing loss use hearing aids. With the average out-of-pocket cost for a single hearing aid totaling $2,400, cost has been identified as the main barrier.
“Expensive, inaccessible hearing aids not only deny millions of Americans hearing loss relief, they leave our neighbors facing isolation, anxiety and even memory loss,” Kennedy said. “By sparking innovation and competition in this industry, this bill will improve the lives of our constituents in their communities, businesses and homes. With (Thursday’s) bipartisan passage in the House, we have moved closer to a country where mild to moderate hearing loss is no longer a debilitating diagnosis.”