Officials said on Tuesday, officials said over-the-counter hearing aids will be made available to tens of millions of Americans for the first time for the first time, in an effort to reduce prices from $5,000 (about Rs 3,96,400) a bag. “For many Americans with hearing loss, safe, effective, and high-quality hearing aids are simply out of the question,” Health Secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters at a news conference.
Action to take effect in October will reduce costs Hearing Aid Brian Deese, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, adds an estimated $2,800 (about Rs 2,21,900) per pair, by eliminating the requirement to see a doctor or audiologist.
This, he said, equates to what economists call a “barrier to entry” – regulation that prevents many companies from entering the market.
Currently, hearing aids are priced at $5,000 (about Rs. 3,96,400) a pair in the United States. While a small fraction of the cost can be covered by health insurance, it is still in contrast to other advanced countries like the UK, where devices are provided free of charge at the point of delivery.
Children, as well as people with severe hearing impairment, still need a prescription. Although hearing loss in adults is generally caused by noise exposure and aging, the reasons in children can be more worrisome and require closer medical evaluation.
US President Joe Biden, who called for the move in an executive order issued last year, said in a statement that the rule “makes good on my commitment to reducing costs for families.” American family … giving people more options to improve their health and well-being.”
One in eight people in the United States age 12 and older — about 30 million people — have hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing tests, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The new rule applies to hearing aids that work via air conduction, sending amplified sound into the ear canal, where it travels through the eardrum and middle ear to the inner ear, where the signal is processed. sent to the brain.
People with more severe hearing loss may require a bone conduction hearing aid that bypasses the outer and middle ear.
