Northwest Iowa (Radio Iowa) — If you have trouble hearing, but don’t feel you can afford the cost of hearing aids, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says you’re not alone. He says you should be able to buy reliable, AFFORDABLE over-the-counter hearing aids.
Grassley was the lead Republican co-sponsor of a bill President Trump has signed that will establish federal standards for hearing aids sold in retail stores.
Medicare and private insurance plans rarely cover the cost of hearing aids. The new law requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish safety standards for amplification devices. Grassley says it means consumers will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription and without a medical exam.
Grassley says fewer than one in six people who NEED hearing aids buy them, because they’re too expensive.
“Consumer Reports” recently surveyed its readers and found those who needed hearing aids put off buying them for a couple of years because of the cost. Those who did buy hearing aids spent an average of $27-hundred on the devices. However, 16-percent of the magazine’s readers said they spent more than $5-thousand on prescription hearing aids. Grassley says with more competition from over-the-counter sales, hearing aid costs will hopefully come down.
