FDA moves to allow hearing aids sold without a prescription

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is allowing hearing aids to be made available over the counter without the need for costly medical exams or prescriptions.

The FDA’s move establishes a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids that can be sold directly to consumers. It only applies to hearing devices for adults with mild to moderate hearing problems, excluding devices for more severe hearing loss, which will still require a prescription. 

The action is intended to make hearing aids cheaper and more widely available to tens of millions of people in the United States, mostly older adults, who tend to suffer from hearing loss.

The price of standard hearing aids, which often includes a consultation with an audiologist and a fitting, can cost as much as $7,000 per pair without insurance, according to the National Council on Aging, an advocacy group.