Just Like Reading Glasses, Hearing Aids Are About To Go Over The Counter

It’s about to get a lot easier to get hearing aids.

The Food and Drug Administration launched an effort Wednesday to make the devices available over the counter, a move that could eventually save thousands of dollars for hearing-impaired Americans.

The agency said it will immediately stop enforcing a requirement that patients get a medical evaluation before obtaining hearing aids and consider creating a new category of over-the-counter products, which will encourage new manufacturers to step into the market.

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