Breaking a Logjam on Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
If the FDA clears the way, the devices will be more affordable and widely used.
Listening to reason.
Photographer: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
In the uncertainty over the future of U.S. health care, there is one ray of hope for a group of people who need more options, not fewer.
People with hearing loss usually pay out of pocket for hearing aids, and those pockets must be deep indeed. The average cost for a hearing aid is $2,300, and most people need two. They don’t last forever, and if your condition is progressive you may need to replace them as often as every four or five years.