Americans Can Soon Get Hearing Aids Without Seeing a Doctor

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Americans Can Soon Get Hearing Aids Without Seeing a Doctor

Americans will be able to buy hearing aids later this year without seeing a doctor or receiving a medical examination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new class of hearing aid devices. They do not require a medical exam or a prescription¹. The devices will be sold online and in stores.

The devices are designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing problems. The FDA estimates that the hearing aids could help nearly 30 million adults in the United States. Only about one-fifth of people with hearing problems use the devices currently.

"Today's action by the FDA represents a significant milestone² in making hearing aids more cost-effective and accessible," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, told reporters Tuesday.

The FDA first proposed the rule change for hearing aids last year. The new rules will take effect in the middle of October. The move follows years of pressure from medical experts and others to make the devices less costly³ and easier to get.

Cost is a barrier right now. Americans can pay more than $5,000 for hearing aids. The cost is for the device itself and fitting services. Private insurance coverage⁴ is also limited for the devices. And government insurance for older people, known as Medicare, does not pay for them. Medicare only pays for hearing tests.

"The requirement to see a specialist was not only a burden and an annoyance⁵ for many consumers but it actually created a competitive a barrier to entry," said Brian Deese, a White House economic adviser⁶. Deese added that the government estimates that Americans could save as much as $2,800 for a set of hearing aids if they want to buy them.

But FDA officials noted⁷ that the savings⁸ will depend on when manufacturers launch products and how much they cost

"It's very hard to predict exactly what we'll see and when," said Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, the FDA's medical device chief. Shuren said officials expect to see increased competition from new manufacturers. They also expect new products from existing hearing aid makers⁹.

The new ruling will only help people with mild and moderate hearing problems. Those with severe hearing loss still need to visit medical doctors and health specialists for examinations and fittings.

Some consumer electronics companies have produced low-cost "personal sound amplification¹⁰" devices for years. But they are not supervised by the FDA. And they cannot be marketed as hearing aids. The new rule states clearly that those devices are not FDA-approved hearing aids.

Words in This Story

prescription –n. a written message from a doctor that officially tells someone to use a medicine or a treatment

mild –v. not bad or severe

milestone –n. an important point in the progress or development of something

accessible –adj. able to be used or gotten

insurance –n. an agreement in which a person makes regular payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person gets sick or dies, or if they lose the use of covered property

burden –n. something that is difficult to deal with

annoyance –n. a feeling of being a little angry or bothered about something

1 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

2 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

5 annoyance   

n.恼怒，生气，烦恼

参考例句：

• Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
• I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

9 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 amplification   

n.扩大，发挥

参考例句：

• The voice of despair may be weak and need amplification.绝望的呼声可能很微弱，需要扩大。
• Some of them require further amplification.其中有些内容需进一步详细阐明。