One in five American adults, almost 40 million people, live with some form of hearing loss. Yet as many as 85 percent of us do nothing to treat it. Because of price barriers, many people don’t get the hearing assistance they need.
Traditional hearing aids are expensive, ranging between $1,000 and $6,000. But, thanks to consumer technology called Personal Sound Amplification Products — non-prescription hearing devices — better hearing is available for just one-tenth the price of a hearing aid. And the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Act, co-sponsored by Republicans and Democrats alike in the House and Senate, will give more consumers access to this new, more cost-effective option for mild to moderate hearing loss.
Many insurance plans don’t cover traditional hearing aids, saddling consumers with thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. But PSAPs give consumers a choice between investing in traditional hearing aids or paying a fraction of the cost for an over-the-counter option.
Buying hearing devices off the shelf will not only make life easier for consumers, it also will introduce competition to a market dominated by very expensive prescription solutions. Opening the market to PSAPs should help drive down the cost of traditional hearing aids, which would be a great benefit to consumers who need the precise tailoring of prescription aids.
Present laws give a few hearing aid sellers a monopoly. These market incumbents have misconstrued this legislation, suggesting the bill would make some over-the-counter hearing aids such as PSAPs subject to federal regulation. Not all PSAPs will be regulated. Indeed, most PSAPs will continue to be sold as they are currently. However, for manufacturers of PSAPs that want them to be part of a new class of OTC hearing aid, they can voluntarily submit to regulation. Either way, the hearing aid lobby’s main goal is to retain the monopoly. Its arguments include the weak suggestion that regulation should be left to the states and the false suggestion that this bipartisan proposal will drive up costs, when they know the opposite is true — it will unleash a new wave of competitors and low costs. Over 80 percent of the 2,200 members of the Consumer Technology Association are startups and small businesses and many are eager to start serving the millions of hearing impaired Americans who could avoid thousand-dollar-plus hearing aids.
Some conservatives, trying to preserve audiologist jobs, argue PSAPs are a “one-size-fits-all solution” to a problem that is particular to each individual. Everyone’s hearing needs are slightly different, and a prescription will get you a device specific to your personal needs. But it is entirely your decision to choose a cheaper, generic version — a choice most people prefer to make together with their doctors. This is exactly what people do when they go to a drugstore and buy lower-cost eyeglasses. More than two-thirds of consumers with hearing difficulty support the ability to purchase hearing assistance devices in the same way they purchase reading glasses.
According to our research, 84 percent of consumers would go to a medical or hearing healthcare professional if they were concerned about their hearing loss. Those who can afford to do so can work with their doctor to determine whether a prescription is the best option for them. Those who can’t afford to go to the doctor should have the option to invest in PSAPs.
Non-prescription, affordable hearing devices are a win-win for consumer choice and competition. Let’s rally for the tens of millions of Americans who need help hearing and deserve to choose how much they pay.
Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies. @GaryShapiro
Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
