How over-the-counter hearing aids will impact Americans | ABCNL 

I have lost 55% of my hearing.

My insurance covers half the cost and only up to a certain price. I am 50 and I’ve had mild hearing loss since my 20’s. I want to get hearing aids, but since they’re so expensive I decided to wait until I “have to” have them (although I sure could use them now).

Easier access doesn't mean they are going to be that much cheaper, people still gotta make money, my mom says she'll believe it when she see's it!

@@TiffYG2133 me too

I don't know where you live but where I live children were always taken care of through Children's rehabilitative Services or Medicaid programs and even some hearing aid manufacturers such as the Starkey hear now program can help. It was those between the ages of 21 and 65 without insurance, because most insurance companies don't pay for hearing aids, who had the most difficulty however if you are a working individual there is vocational rehabilitation, there again no cost to the individual. At whatever age one gets Medicare there are Medicare Advantage plans that work with discount companies and in most cases in fact almost all, these individuals do not have to pay extra for this Medicare Advantage plan and do not have to pay for hearing aids. I fail to understand what the problem was. It's like trying to fix something that wasn't broken but perhaps it's just my state which is one of the worst ever as it is included in one of the 12 that will not accept Medicaid expansion which would help a heck of a lot more people. Oh and with Vocational Rehabilitation again the requirement is that you are working or going to school. I'm sorry the doctor here was a little misleading in my opinion about when hearing loss occurs, such as in your case. What he reports is not what I see in my population there are many 80 and 90 something year olds who actually don't need hearing aids.

The United States has a terrible health care system.

I think insurance would have covered IF it wasn't such a racket.

I agree B Bowen and they need to be properly programmed. The govt needs to regulate the hearing aid makers not the audiologist.

@@cindyweaver6785 true, the hearing aid cost is most frequently passed from the hearing aid manufacturer to the audiologist or the hearing instrument specialist who have to be able to handle overhead costs. In my experience however, almost everyone who comes to my office does not have to pay for hearing aids if they are willing to accept entry level hearing aids that work just fine. This new ability to purchase over the counter May in fact incur cost to someone who might otherwise would not have had to pay.

I somehow doubt they will take returns on hearing aids after they have been used. (if you get the wrong one, etc.)

@@LordBrittish otc, maybe not. Don't quite know what to expect but with a professional you will have either a 30, A 60, or a 90-day trial period and the hearing aid can be returned and or exchanged. Also during the warranty period which could be up to 3 years, when they repair is needed that cannot be accomplished in the office, manufacturers will often just do a rapid Exchange. It just depends on the problem so you are right OTC May complicate things even further for certain individuals.

Medicare does not cover hearing exams

If your dad was military why doesn't he go through the VA for his medical needs? Hearing aids will then be a lot more affordable for him. Just a thought.

Charles George VA hospital in Asheville N.C. gives them to veterans.

@@elizabethjohnson4748 I had asked my father about it, He said the only option they gave him was to receive a hearing aide that he didn't want because it was too big. It would have been free, but he ended up finding a "smaller" better quality online for $300

Well your question can only be answered by those with the power to make these decisions, but I think that it's kind of like reading glasses. They won't be specific to the person but for most people having something is better than nothing.

@@KTL5637 True! And I have to admit that far as glasses go, since we adapted EU standards in health insurance (which usually is the cheaper version), there are very few cases only in which you get glasses on free prescription (the doctor's visit however is still for free). When I was much younger (I am 73😃), glasses did not cost me anything, even from specialists (apart from extravagant frames like from Armani😃). Now you have to pay for the whole thing in most cases. So now you can get reading glasses at the supermarket for 2 Euro, whereas at a specialized shop the cheapest will not cost below 20+ Euro. But we have very competitive specialized chains which offer loads of services for free, like tests carried out by ophthalmologists, free repairs, and loads of other services. I do hope, that in the case of hearing aids and glasses at least, the US market will also develop in a competitive way, which drives prices down even further.

Most health insurances will not cover hearing aids, so people would have to play about $3000 and above for each. Yes, it would probably mean over the counter in the sense you understand. Going to a store and buying them without going through the expensive process. The us makes laws or doesn’t according to profit.

@@missmustache4207 "according to profit" - citing you. As if we did not have a flourishing economy😃 I think, the basic difference in your and our capitalistic systems is, that our government (and no, we are not socialists😃) . is not swayed by lobbyists and greed (at least to a much lesser degree), but is able to think and plan long-term. So, here they know that when you neglect public health, you will harm your own economy in the long-run; the healthier a population, the more you lessen the burden on state finances. You not only keep your workforce healthy and fit by universal healthcare and the right for at least four weeks paid leave every year; you keep your elders healthy (relieving hospitals, which are for free, and nursing homes or special care in at- home services - both supported by government money); you ward off homelessness as much as possible (by free extensive psychological treatment for instance. My list is long as far as the health sector goes and could continue😃 In my eyes the US system is not only disrespectful (not to say cynically cruel) of its citizens, but also fairly dumb. Look at other European (especially northern) countries like Sweden or Norway...

@@danihesslinger7968 that sounds wonderful. Unfortunately there seems to be this idea that we need to reinvent the wheel here and that America is the best nation because of its origin story. Other countries have figured it out, but yet they aren’t used as examples here. The people who are representing us are not representing what the majority of what Americans want.

What are cheap cheater glasses? Never heard of such.

There would certainly be a lot less hearing loss if people did what they needed to do to protect and preserve the hearing that they have. Wear ear protection when mowing the lawn and that does not mean earbuds while you're playing music that's louder than the lawn mower, if you go to a concert you have to remove yourself from the noise. Periodically or don't try to sit right up front in order to protect your hearing, pay attention to whether or not medications can cause hearing loss, high fevers that last for a long time can cause hearing loss, there are so many causes that even if you have hereditary hearing loss can be worsened unnecessarily by other external sources that can be prevented. Educate yourself on this because often with hearing loss comes ringing in the ears and that can be very bothersome particularly if it's constant and never goes away.

@@sable7114 don't forget everybody take the jab and that will cause hearing loss too.

Must be nice. I have to pay a minimum of $100 just for the frames for glasses because that's the lowest priced ones available and the lenses for prescriptions can run you another 200 easy, if you don't need things like transitions to go work out in the sun.

My dad either

@@chairmanofthebored8684 That is pretty scary! My Dad's hearing aids emit a high-pitched squeal when they are charging and it drives me nuts. I suppose I should be grateful I can hear such a high-pitched sound after decades of working in factories and jamming out to rock music.🙂

My father has been partially deaf since he got Mumps at age 11. And it has just gotten worse as he has gotten older. He refuses like hell to even get any. He thinks that not paying the huge price sticks it to the health care industry and insurance companies. He also thinksvthT he doesn't need them. Yes, he bloody does. He is close to 70 and stubborn as hell and will likely not get them OTC either. My moms hearing has deteriorated so much that her hearing is now worse than my dads which says something, and she will never get any either. The house is so loud all the time because everyone has to shout and is frustrated and makes excuses when no one can hear anyone else... While I am glad for others, it will never cure my parents stubbornness and denial.

Yes but right about then it should set in, that most of the things we enjoy everyday are luxuries. And yes it's a shame that not everyone can afford them, but again "luxuries".

@@Dr.Evil420 hearing should not be I considered a luxury

@@missmustache4207 oh so every human deserves to hear? I'll have to talk with the creator about that, but I don't think thats what it had in mind.

@@Dr.Evil420 the creator also provided people, who help people who can not hear. You are thinking of people born deaf. If you go by that logic everyone who needs glasses shouldn’t wear them.

@@Dr.Evil420 yes, assuming that you would have to pay $1,400 per hearing aid. Those people who say they can't afford them can afford to have their nails done weekly their hair done as frequently as possible, eat the best foods, Drive the best cars, and never make any sacrifices for health. That seems to be when they want to be given something that they can easily get if they give up some of those unnecessary luxuries that don't help anything. But again in my area, the people that I see do not have to pay for hearing aids unless they want upgrades which aren't necessary.

Based on Scaming.

True, meaning that they do not have to have college degrees and in some states not even a high school diploma.

So I will add to what I said earlier, veterans can also go to the VA to get hearing aids but it is income based. You do not have to pay $6,000 for hearing aids. You will probably see an individuals who are not telling you what resources are available out there and hearing aids are medical devices that can be deducted from your taxes as well as the accessories assuming that the standard deduction is not more. Now if you're Filthy Rich and can't afford it some of these programs may not be able to assist you but as far as the cost goes, I agree that there's some providers who are just greedy but then there are others who have to profit enough to cover the salaries of the employees and all of the overhead. You do not have to buy top of the line hearing aids. There is a way to get hearing aids at least in the USA. Again I don't know where you live.

@@sable7114 My step dad went to the VA to get hearing aids. The cost they quoted was $6,000. He is on a fixed income and not rich. He could not get them.

@@jh9369 I am sorry they did that but in my area in the USA they are not supposed to receive money for hearing aids at all. If you are Income ineligible, you are to be told that you would need to see someone privately. If I were him, I would ask specifically what those income guidelines are and if he does make too much money if he thinks he was damaged at all by his service in the military, then file a claim for compensation and pension which will not necessarily get him a hearing aid but it could prove beneficial. $6,000 is not an entry-level hearing aid unless you're in another country that I am not familiar with. I would say go to a private office, preferably an audiologist whose source of income is not just from hearing aids, and find out how much and ask what assistance there is saying things specifically like Vocational Rehabilitation if he works or goes to school, Lions Club and some instances, the Starkey here now Foundation where you only pay a processing fee that I can't quote right now because I don't know what things have changed since the pandemic, if he is Medicare eligible he should sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan which most are at no cost but pick the ones that say hearing aid benefits, Humana is a good one AARP is always a bad one sorry you pay more but there are many many where you pay nothing and you benefit from having an audiologist services who follows you for a year if needed without any additional charge. Also Google the Starkey here now Foundation or so the world may hear to get an application to see what they are offering at this time. It is a good brand of hearing aid and they fought so hard against the OTC hearing aids. We don't see that as being a good thing because I think that for many who don't have to pay anything they will now have to pay something and sometimes $100 per hearing aid, if they are really hearing aids and not just amplifiers, is also too much! Mr Bill Austin at Starkey labs has made trips to several other countries to fit hearing aids at no cost to individuals. He's based out of Minnesota in the USA. I hope this will be helpful for your stepfather. Also if he does have to go to a private office, ask if they have any gently used hearing aids or hearing aids that were donated to help other people when someone purchased new hearing aids. If you are in the USA, I still think there is something wrong with the VA wanting to charge for hearing aids. That department should be non-profit and it probably did not cost that amount to buy them. The ethical way is to allow that person to search privately for hearing aids. Why would you have served your country and then have to pay them for assistance with something that's not covered by your insurance? Do check into that some more and come back and let me know what you find out.

Trumpty dumpty had ZERO to do with this!!!

@@bs4real you might want to do some light reading.

I think you might need hearing aids and perhaps some glasses as well.

- Well… good for you jeezus believer! This world needs the folks that buys deer whistles and ultrasound mosquito repellents too!

Weirdo. No one cares about your fantasy belief system and how insecure you are about it.

Without an audiologist I wouldn't have known the extent of my hearing loss and which frequencies needed to be boosted to compensate for that loss, and that will be the problem with otc hearing aids. Hearing aids aren't only for hearing things louder. They can also remove unwanted background noise that interferes with what you hear. If you use a cell phone, hearing aids with BlueTooth can connect directly with your cell phone, the same with smart tv and a computer with Bluetooth. There are programs for optimally listening to music, volume, and tone control. Of course, all of that is expensive. If you only have minimal hearing loss, you may be able to get by with otc hearing aids. Just like reading glasses, it that's all you need, they'll work.

@@farshimelt thank you for what you just said but I also want people to know that not all audiologists work with hearing aids. There are many tasks and specialties. Feel sorry for the hearing instrument specialist because fitting that hearing aid is solely their bread and butter.👍😊