Hearing aids now available over the counter for first time in US

Adults with mild to moderate hearing loss can now purchase hearing aids over the counter at stores across the United States, including Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart, or online without a prescription.

Retailers are offering over-the-counter hearing aids averaging thousands of dollars less than prescription models for as little as $199 a pair at Walmart after the Food and Drug Administration finalized a ruling in August allowing the devices to be sold to people 18 and older without a prescription, medical exam, or trip to the audiologist for the first time in the U.S.

The...