Good Lifestyle

Loss Perhaps an expensive burden to bear before even considering the costs associated with the manipulation of the living condition. According to Goodrx , the average cost of a pair of hearing aids in the United States varies from $ 2,000 to $ 7,000 - and most insurance plans do not cover them. But now there is another option. CVS and Walgreens sell over -the -counter hearing aids (OTC) which cost less than $ 100.

In relation: Walgreens and CVS announce major changes in pharmacy - this is how they will affect you .

CVS and Walgreens sell over -the -counter hearing aids for $ 98.

This week, Audien Hearing announced that its over-the-counter hearing aids struck shelves in CVS stores across the United States. Atom unit. Not only do they have a 24 -hour battery life and a discreet design, but they also do not require audience test or prescription, unlike most other market devices.

The news of the last expansion occurs less than a week after the hearing aid arrives Walgreens pharmacies . They are currently available on the store website and the mobile application and take place this month in 2,000 stores. This will be more than double for 4,400 locations by mid-November, according to a press release.

This month's pharmacy additions are the brand's last expansion, which launched a retail for the first time at Walmart in October 2023.

In addition to the basic atom, Walgreens and Walmart carry the Atom Pro 2 , which offers additional features such as the cancellation of background noise and a load box with integrated UV cleaning lights. The premium level product costs $ 289.

In relation: CVS can allow you to unlock your own articles - this is how it will work .

A recent change of law makes hearing aids more accessible.

AUDIENT HEARING Market extension is the result of a "final rule" published by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2022. Thanks to the bipartite legislation adopted by the Congress in 2017, the agency was able to establish a new regulatory category for over -the -counter hearing aids.

The change allows customers to bypass the long process of medical examinations, to obtain a prescription and a consultation with a audiologist before receiving their devices. In the end, the change was aimed at reducing the cost of typically expensive products and making them more accessible to the public in the middle of increasing costs and continuous problems with insurance coverage.

"Hearing loss is an essential public health problem that affects the ability of millions of Americans to communicate effectively in their daily social interactions", the former FDA commissioner Robert M. Califf , MD, said in a press release in 2022 announcing the final rule. "The establishment of this new regulatory category will allow people with light to moderate hearing loss perceived to have practical access to a range of safe, efficient and affordable hearing aids from their neighborhood or online store."

So, to what extent do hearing aids work?

Having an affordable and accessible hearing aid on the market will probably be good news for customers on the market for a device. But it is not only their price: auditory entry -level hearing products have also received complimentary criticism.

In a recent road test, the National Aging Council (NCOA) Selected audience As a choice for the best option in its "most affordable" category, winning an "exceptional" note of 9.7 out of 10. They cited that the "sound quality of the atom is very global", while congratulating the 45 -day trial period.