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Partly cloudy skies. Low near 65F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy skies. Low near 65F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
During recent years there have been about 30 companies illegally selling hearing aids online without a valid hearing test or Doctor prescribed fitting. Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Over the Counter (OTC) hearing aids you can expect at least twice as many faceless websites selling mail order aids.
As an audiologist and 40-year hearing industry veteran, I support OTC hearings aids if, and only if, the consumer is protected from fraud and further damage to their hearing. My Doctors and I have investigated the rewards and risk of buying OTC aids (read more.)
In 2015 the Presidents Counsel of Advisors on Science and Technology recommended:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should enable a hearing-aid prescription process similar to what is available for eyeglasses and contact lenses, giving consumers a greater diversity of choices and the opportunity to shop around without being locked into the cost of a particular device or service.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should create a new category for “basic” hearing aids and associated hearing tests that are meant for sale over-the-counter. This would allow entrepreneurs and innovators to enter the market and open a space for creative solutions to improve mild-to-moderate, age-related hearing loss with devices that can be sold widely, allowing consumers to buy a basic hearing aid at the local pharmacy, online, or at a retail store for significantly less.
The FDA should rescind its previous draft guidance about Personal Sound Amplification Products and allow these devices to make truthful claims about capabilities like improving hearing or understanding in situations where environmental noise or crowded rooms might interfere with speech intelligibility.
After 7 years of thinking things over the FDA released its final rules for OTC aids. Sometime around October of 2022 those OTC hearings aids should be legal to sell online, in Doctor offices and in retail stores. These aids are supposed to be sold only to people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
The benefits of legislation for OTC aids are:
Consumers with mild/moderate hearing loss who are home bound or live in rural areas have convenient access to mail order aids that they can purchase online or in a retail store.
The OTC legislation had a goal of creating more competition in the hearing healthcare market place for people who perceive mild/moderate hearing loss.
Legislators hope that OTC regulations would promote more innovations in technology.
Buyers should beware because the FDA and States Attorney Generals had not been enforcing prior consumer protection laws. I doubt they will do a better job moving forward.
Without a proper exam non-prescription hearing aids could further damage hearing or cause consumer frustration because of inefficiency.
Cheap foreign products cannot be repaired or supported locally.
OTC hearing aid consumers are not protected by their state licensure laws and legislation.
Educate yourself if you decide to buy mail order Over the Counter aids. Read consumer reviews and the small print regarding refunds. We estimate that 30% up to 50% of the aids purchased online will be returned for a refund. These refunds may be easier to get from reputable sellers such as Amazon and big box stores. Avoid faceless websites with no physical address and untrained call center representatives.
https://www.gardneraudiology.com/avoid-otc-hearing-aid-mistakes/
https://www.gardneraudiology.com/how-to-judge-otc-hearing-aid-value/
Call customer support and see if you can actually talk to a knowledgeable person before you buy.
There is more hearing health competition in urban areas. If you live in a medium to large city you may find equally affordable hearing aids that are bundled with a proper exam and doctor care.
Do not buy OTC or mail order hearing aids if you’ve experienced a sudden hearing loss, have a sore ear, drainage from the ear, undiagnosed tinnitus, vertigo or dizziness. Instead, get a proper exam from a local hearing care professional before you buy. Online hearing tests are incomplete and we’ve proven them to be invalid.
https://www.gardneraudiology.com/limitations-of-hearing-tests/
https://www.gardneraudiology.com/benefits-of-in-person-testing/
https://gardneraudiology.com/?s=lively
I think the OTC and self-fit hearing aid industry will eventually improve the quality of consumers’ lives. If you’re thinking about a non-prescription hearing aid you might want to wait until next year. In 2023 you will have more reliable access to OTC hearing aids from local doctors and retailers. This would afford a much more enjoyable experience and less hassle with remote customer service.
Contact us at www.GardnerAudiology.com or mail me at info@GardnerAudiology.com for more information about OTC hearing aids.
Audiologist Dan Gardner has 40 years of experience in all aspects of the hearing industry. He is Tele-Health pioneer and CEO of Gardner Audiology in Tampa Bay, Florida (www.gardneraudiology.com).
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