Hearing aids are now available over the counter for millions of Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss, after a years-long push to adopt legislation that aimed to make the devices cheaper and more accessible.

What You Need To Know

  • Hearing aids are now available over the counter for millions of  Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss, after a years-long push to adopt legislation that aimed to make the devices cheaper and more accessible

  • People can now find hearing aids on shelves at stores like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Best Buy and Hy-Vee, many for less than $1,000

  • More than 29 million Americans have hearing loss, according to the National Institutes of Health

  • The FDA estimates that Americans can save as much as $3,000 per pair by buying over the counter, depending on the model

People can now and in the coming weeks find hearing aids on shelves at stores like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Best Buy and Hy-Vee, many for less than $1,000, the White House announced Monday.

“The number of folks who are letting this go untreated is really high,” said Bharat Ramamurti, deputy director of the National Economic Council, in an interview with Spectrum News. “The really high cost of hearing aids is a leading explanation for that.”

Ramamurti said the goal is to "make sure that people have more options available to them," adding that companies like Apple and Bose were now getting into the industry to make cheaper versions, too.

Congress first passed bipartisan legislation to make hearing aids available over the counter in 2017, calling on the Food and Drug Administration to create a rule to regulate the devices. But the agency didn’t act until required by an executive order from President Joe Biden last summer.

The FDA issued its final rule on the devices this summer, setting up for sales to launch in October. 

More than 29 million Americans have hearing loss, according to the National Institutes of Health, including about eight million between the ages of 20 and 60. About one in seven use hearing aids.

The FDA estimates that Americans buying over the counter can save as much as $3,000 per pair by buying over the counter, depending on the model. The average cost of a single hearing aid is around $2,300, according to industry website Hearing Tracker.

Walgreens will sell the devices in stores and online for $799, and CVS will begin selling them online and then at pharmacies in November, the retailers said. 

Walmart will start by selling them for $199 to $999 in select states including Missouri, Ohio and Texas, plus at Sam’s Club Hearing Aid Centers. They’ll also be available on Walmart.com and SamsClub.com.

And Best Buy will offer 20 types of hearing devices online, then in stores in the coming weeks, running from $200 to $3,000.

The cost of hearing aids has such a broad range. So while many people will likely save by buying over the counter, it's not a "magic pill" to lower cost completely, said Nicholas Reed of the Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health.

The executive order Biden signed last year aimed to not only boost competition in the hearing aid market but among several different industries, therefore lowering costs.

That's a real goal for hearing loss advocates, too, said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

"We're hoping that as the market opens over the next year, the next couple years, and we see innovation happening, that the prices will be less expensive and truly be an over-the-counter option that is more affordable for people.

Reed noted that while the vast majority of hearing loss cases are mild or moderate, he still recommended someone see a specialist before deciding which device to buy.

"I do think it's a really good idea to start your hearing care journey by going to see an audiologist and actually getting that baseline test," he said.

There are also self test apps available on Apple devices, for example, that can help people decide.

The Hearing Loss Association of America also offers a tip sheet for people who think they might need help hearing.

Ramamurti of the White House said deciding whether to see a doctor would depend on people's comfort level, but the new OTC devices should empower more people.

"I think people probably know that they're having a little bit of trouble hearing," he said.

And while some people can get away without a device, he said, "untreated, mild to moderate hearing loss can actually lead to higher degrees of dementia and other mental health problems because they have a harder time interacting in society."

Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., worked together to pass the legislation in 2017 to make the devices available in shelves and online.

The two celebrated the beginning of sales on Monday, Warren calling it “a game-changer — cutting costs, lowering prices, saving time and money.”

 

Grassley wrote: “It took FDA 5 yrs 2 implement the day is finally here,” saying he was “Glad consumers can now buy safe & effective hrg aids over-the-counter.”