There has been ongoing discussion for some time over how to help people use devices to improve their hearing that is both easy to use and affordable.
One problem is that MediCare actually can't cover hearing aids, barring a literal Act of Congress making such coverage possible. Additionally, hearing aid technology has been difficult and generally required several visits to a licensed audiologist (hearing specialist) to customize them to each individual user.
Fast-forwarding to the present, the electronics technology for hearing aids has advanced just like electronics and computers in everything else. Hearing aids that can be fully set up and used by the individual users are now seen to work nearly as well as high-end audiologist adjusted ones, at a fraction of the price (say, $300 instead of $4,000).
Congress is getting set to vote on a piece of legislation that would give the FDA three years to devise a way for hearing aids to be available over the counter after being shown to be safe and effective. When Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Grassley are supporting the same legislation, then something is definitely up. Stay tuned for further developments over the next few years!
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