CNN —
Pete Kust said his wife was the first to notice that he was turning up the TV louder than she wanted.
“I couldn’t hear the words in the movies as much anymore,” admitted Kust, who lives near Washington.
Watching TV isn’t Cust’s only problem. In his church choir he could not always hear his part and make the right pitch. It also affected his work at the Fire Safety Research Institute, a non-profit organization that generates safety research. The 61-year-old said he felt less effective when judging the sound quality when his team made their life-saving videos for firefighters.
“It affects all parts of my life,” he said.
He saw an audiologist who said he needed hearing aids, but they would cost more than $6,000. “I thought, ‘Maybe this can wait,'” Kust said.
That was seven years ago.
The wait may be over for Coust and millions of other Americans. On Monday, for the first time, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in the US will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription. Those who are under 18 or have severe hearing loss will still need a prescription.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced the long-awaited rule change in August, introducing options that should be cheaper and possibly even better.
Now, instead of getting a prescription and having a custom fit by a hearing care professional, seniors can buy hearing aids directly from a store or online. Some doctors estimate that 90% of the population with hearing loss could benefit from these over-the-counter devices.
Experts say the move is a “game changer”.
“We’ve been working for years to make hearing health care affordable and accessible,” said Barbara Kelly, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. “We’re really looking forward to Monday.”
Coust is certainly not alone in giving up hearing aids because they were too expensive, Kelly said. Only about 16 percent of the tens of millions of people with hearing loss use a hearing aid, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
The number of people with hearing loss is significant. About 1 in 8 people in the U.S. age 12 and older have hearing loss in both ears, and the rate increases significantly with age. About a quarter of people between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing loss, and this rises to 50% around age 75.
On average, people spend at least $4,000 out of pocket on devices for both ears, according to a 2020 study published in the medical journal JAMA. Prices can vary: Major retailers can offer a pair for around $1,400, but some can cost up to $6,000 per ear, depending on the technology.
The FDA rule allowing over-the-counter hearing aids did not change how the devices are covered. While private insurers pay for treatment after the loss of a limb or even cover the cost of Viagra, most do not cover hearing aids. Most Medicare plans won’t pay for them either. Only about half of state Medicaid programs do.
Until now, five companies controlled 90% of the global hearing aid market. This kind of consolidation meant there was little price competition.
With the change, many more companies are expected to enter the market. Experts say existing manufacturers will also develop cheaper over-the-counter devices in addition to their current offerings.
The White House said Monday that the hearing aids are available or will be available soon at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Best Buy and Hy-Vee, with some models priced around $200 a pair.
Sony has several models that pair with an app that allows users to customize settings and find additional support. The CRE-C10 retails for $999.99 and has a battery life of up to 70 hours of continuous use. The CRE-E10 has a more earphone-like design and a rechargeable battery; it is Bluetooth compatible for streaming music or audio. It will be available for $1,299.99 on Sony’s website and at Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers.
Bose also teamed up with Lexie Hearing to offer the B1 model for $899 a pair. The B2, for $999, adds a rechargeable battery that runs for up to 18 hours. Both models are Bluetooth enabled, user configurable and pair with a mobile app for support. They will be sold online, in drugstores and in stores like Best Buy.
Best Buy says nearly 300 of its stores will offer a “hearing experience” that will include about 10 over-the-counter hearing aids and PSAPs, or personal sound amplification products. They improve sound but are not required to meet FDA standards, unlike hearing aids, which must meet the FDA’s high labeling, manufacturing and safety standards, similar to other medical devices.
Best Buy encourages customers to take a hearing evaluation on its website before coming into the store to work with trained associates to select a new device.
Hearing aids aren’t just nice to have; they are essential for physical and mental health.
People with hearing loss who don’t have hearing aids are more likely to report poor health in general and less likely to leave the house or exercise, studies have found.
There is a link between hearing loss and general frailty and an increased risk of falls, which are the second leading cause of unintentional deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Association.
Several studies have also found a link between hearing loss and poorer mental and psychosocial health.
Hearing loss can lead to depression, loneliness and isolation – even dementia.
As hearing aids become more affordable, “I have a big smile on my face right now,” said Dr. Frank Lynn, director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health. For eight years he consulted the government on this matter.
Lynn said there is little innovation in this space because of the way the market is regulated.
“In 1977, because of the technology at the time, the only way for hearing aids to be safe and effective was to have them programmed, fitted and professionally adjusted by a licensed provider,” he said. “But the market and this technology have changed dramatically.
“This will allow companies like Samsung, Apple, Google – companies that already make innovative headphones – to now be able to enter the market. They really couldn’t before.”
Kelly said if you plan to buy an OTC hearing aid, be sure to read the return policy. The FDA does not require companies to offer one, as Kelly’s group urged, but any return policy must be listed on the packaging.
Check how much time you have before you can return them. Hearing aids are different from glasses; it can take your brain up to four weeks to adjust to hearing in a new way.
Test them in different circumstances over a few weeks to see if they are suitable. Do they help in a crowded room or are they better at work? It’s not one size fits all.
Kust said he will check with his insurance company to see if it will cover some of the cost of an OTC device. But finally, after all these years, he thinks he’ll soon be able to hear better.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Kust said. “I really am.”
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