CEO DATELINE - With association support, Congress eases restrictions on hearing aid sales
CEO DATELINE - With association support, Congress eases restrictions on hearing aid sales
- August 4, 2017 |
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Walt Williams
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Legislation allowing the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids is heading to President Donald Trump's desk after receiving bipartisan support in Congress.
The U.S. Senate voted 94 to 1 Thursday to pass a Food and Drug Administration bill containing a provision written by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) allowing consumers to purchase hearing aids without first going to an audiologist or other hearing specialist, the Boston Globe reported. The bill, which had previously cleared the House, now heads to Trump for his signature into law. http://bit.ly/2vzhH1D
Currently most states require patients to see an audiologist before purchasing hearing aids, which helps drives the average price of a single aid to $2,400, according to a March 21 statement by the senators. By contrast, over-the-counter hearing aids typically cost a few hundred dollars. http://bit.ly/2vp6znL
AARP and the consumer advocacy group Hearing Loss Association of America endorsed the provision. So did the Consumer Technology Association, which has developed a logo for over-the-counter hearing aid manufacturers to place on packaging to signify quality products.
"This legislation will create a new class of over-the-counter hearing aids costing roughly one-tenth the price of traditional hearing aids, making it easier for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss to afford the hearing assistance that they need," CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said.
Not all associations were as enthusiastic as CTA. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which represents audiologists, had previously expressed concern the legislation would cause consumers to self-diagnose themselves with hearing loss—a potentially serious medical condition.
However, ASHA was pleased the legislation contains provisions allowing consumers to take legal action against over-the-counter hearing aid manufacturers and requires federal regulators to monitor any adverse effects the devices could have. The group did not issue a statement following the Senate vote Thursday. http://bit.ly/2wen9nM
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