SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Now new technology and a rare bipartisan push from lawmakers who are trying to reduce regulations for the sale of hearing aids are raising hopes that more people with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing devices a lot more cheaply and without seeing a doctor.
It's a modest-sounding goal, but supporters believe the measure on Capitol Hill could lower prices, spur innovation, and ultimately get hearing aids into the ears of far more people. Only 15 to 30 percent of people who need hearing aids actually get them, according to some estimates.
Currently, regulations in most states, including Massachusetts, require consumers to go to a licensed audiologist or other specialist to purchase a hearing aid. The average cost: $2,300 per ear.
Legislation sponsored by Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa would supersede individual state rules and force over-the-counter hearing aids into the national market. It has the support of AARP, which is the largest lobbying group for seniors and advocates for people with hearing loss. But it is drawing opposition from hearing aid makers and a major trade association for audiologists.
Supporters say the bill could unleash competition and put hearing aids that cost a few hundred dollars on the shelves. It could also foster technology that, among other benefits, allows consumers to use smartphones to control their hearing aids.
(Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Friday April 14 2017, @02:55PM
The market is bullshit - there's been a few attempts by various companies to break into it over the past few years but they typically get driven out of business by a handful of the big guys. I've been following it for years as I am severely hearing impaired.
Oh yeah, and hearing aids often aren't covered by health insurance in the US....
One thing - it is possible to make adjustments to mine with my smartphone. Lots of them have this ability these days; only the cheapest or most specialized ones don't (ones without bluetooth antenna). You can't program like this exclusively though. Mine just has an app to manually control its different modes (it has a few different programs- generic, phone, crowd, music, etc), and volume control, etc.
The programming for mine was difficult. It was not something I could have done unaided. I assisted two technicians in the programming. My hearing loss is a very rare type though caused by a genetic malfunction... I wouldn't benefit much from this proposal directly.
However, the sorts of hearing aids needed by the elderly are of fairly typical make and programming. Hearing loss with age is fairly predictable. You'd pre-program a handful of slight variants and let the user pick which one they like best; have them visit a website to play sounds for testing or an in-store kiosk or both perhaps. Cheaper generics with some good-enough programming should be possible to provide. It should be similar-ish to buying cheap reading glasses in the US and reading signs on the display to pick the best one for you.