Buying OTC hearing aids? Here's why you should still see an audiologist
OSSEO, Minn. -- The federal government estimates 15% of Americans experience hearing loss - and experts warn many of them don't even know it.
"I got used to always turning and facing somebody," said Byrdie Coninx, president of the Hearing Loss Association of America-Twin Cities. "When they started speaking, I would turn myself to where I heard speech. That's sometimes the invisibleness of hearing loss."
Coninx has been wearing a hearing aid for four years, and she said it's been a profound improvement on her communication skills and quality of life. She still, however, laments the sticker shock.
"The price tag, holy mackerel. I was not prepared for that. I was fully insured, my insurance did not cover it," Connix said.
Coninx, of course, could only get a hearing aid through a prescription, but starting Monday, consumers will be able to buy hearing aids directly off store shelves and at dramatically lower prices as a 2017 federal law finally takes effect.
Where for decades it cost thousands of dollars to get a device that could be purchased only with a prescription from an audiologist or other hearing professional, now a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) aids are selling for hundreds of dollars. Walmart says it will sell a hearing aid for as little as $199.
OTC aids are intended for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss - a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now avoided getting help because devices were so expensive.
"We're trying to get rid of that stigma of hearing aids. It's not a bad thing," said Dr. Heidi Hill, an audiologist in Osseo. "The number one reason people don't treat their hearing loss is they believe they can manage without it. My hope is people treat their hearing loss much sooner and much younger. We want to see people treat their hearing loss when it's real mild."
Prices and features will vary for the new OTC hearing aids - much as they do for prescription aids. A pair of prescription devices typically sells for $2,000 to $8,000. Some of the technology found in the pricier prescription aids will be available in the cheaper OTC aids.
The OTC aids cost less partly because they do not bundle the services of an audiologist for a hearing evaluation, fitting and fine-tuning the device. Instead, the new devices are intended to be set up by the consumers themselves, although manufacturers will offer technical assistance through apps and by phone.
Some new companies have entered the market, including Sony. It will sell its lowest-cost, self-fitting OTC hearing aid for $999 at Best Buy and other retailers.
According to Hill, shoppers must be wary of product warranties and tread carefully when dealing with something as sensitive as hearing.
"This is a high maintenance device, and electronics are high maintenance. You've got wax, sweat, oil, and none of those things are great for electronics. It doesn't take much to block those speakers," Hill said. "Can you clean them yourself and are you gonna be covered if they break down? And how long is that coverage for? And what happens when they do break? Are you gonna be able to repair them like we can with prescriptive hearing aids, or are you out and have to start all over? Those are things to be aware of and understand."
Those conversations are also top of mind for Coninx, who said she looks forward to hearing from her association members on the experience.
"I still feel there's a medical component to always explore when you're talking about your hearing. You really need to take care of it. If you have over the counter, who is the education piece to this conversation?"
