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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Americans will soon be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription1
Under new FDA rules, people with mild or moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing aids over the counter without a prescription as soon as mid-October.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Hearing aids will soon become easier to buy and maybe even less expensive for millions of people with mild to moderate hearing loss. That's because the Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for over-the-counter and online sales. NPR's Maria Godoy reports.
MARIA GODOY, BYLINE3: Up until now, hearing aids have been regulated as prescription medical devices. And for the more than 40 million Americans with hearing loss, that means they needed a medical exam or other specialty4 evaluation5 before purchasing.
XAVIER BECERRA: That requirement for many people is inconvenient6. It discourages them from seeking help.
GODOY: Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra says those regulations have also discouraged competition among hearing aid manufacturers, helping7 to keep prices very high.
BECERRA: Hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars to prepare, and they're not always covered by insurance.
GODOY: But Becerra says help is on the way. New FDA rules create a class of over-the-counter hearing aids for adults that can be sold in retail8 stores and online without a prescription or special fittings. Brian Deese of the National Economic Council says the goal is to make it easier for more manufacturers to enter the market and encourage competition.
BRIAN DEESE: We expect that that competition will drive down costs. In fact, the FDA estimates this rule will save consumers on the order of about $1,400 per individual hearing aid or over $2,800 per pair.
GODOY: But ultimately, advocates say the new rule change isn't just about business innovation. Dr. Frank Lin is a professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He says research shows hearing loss can have profound impacts on health because it often leads to social isolation9 and a lack of auditory stimuli10 that can change the brain.
FRANK LIN: Hearing loss is arguably the dominant11 risk factor for dementia.
GODOY: But it's a risk factor that may potentially be lessened12 by a good hearing aid.
Maria Godoy, NPR News.
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prescription
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n.处方,开药;指示,规定 | |
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2
transcript
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n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
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3
byline
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n.署名;v.署名 | |
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4
specialty
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n.(speciality)特性,特质;专业,专长 | |
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5
evaluation
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n.估价,评价;赋值 | |
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6
inconvenient
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adj.不方便的,令人感到麻烦的 | |
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7
helping
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n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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8
retail
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v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格 | |
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9
isolation
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n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离 | |
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10
stimuli
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n.刺激(物) | |
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11
dominant
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adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因 | |
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12
lessened
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减少的,减弱的 | |
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