The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final regulation on August 16, 2022, to increase hearing aid accessibility and cut costs for the millions of Americans who suffer from hearing loss. This law creates a new classification for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, allowing people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss to buy hearing aids directly from stores, online retailers, clinics, and pharmacies without the need for a physical examination, a prescription, or an audiologist's fitting adjustment. In the US, there are about 30 million persons who could utilize hearing aids.
Since Congress enacted the legislation in 2017 with broad bipartisan support, the Law has been coming soon for some time. As of October, consumers over the age of 18 have had the ability to purchase hearing aids over-the-counter. The rule is expected to lower the cost of hearings aids, stimulate competition and improve the accessibly to hearing care services and solutions.