Category: Legislation

Legislation

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AAA Provides Tips for OTC Hearing Aid Purchases

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a rule change that would allow a class of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to be available to adult consumers directly without the care and guidance of a hearing health professional. By mid-October, consumers will be able to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids (OTC HAs) online and at big-box stores, pharmacies, and even through your audiologist.

NAAG Urges FDA to Preserve State Regulation of OTC Hearing Aids

The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) cautions that OTC hearing aid rules currently under review by the FDA may unintentionally hinder or repeal important consumer protection authorities, undermining states’ ability to ensure safe and affordable access to hearing aids. Currently, all 50 states have hearing professional licensing requirements and many have important protections for hearing aid consumers, including advertising restrictions, as well as mandatory warrantees and returns.

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ACI Alliance Supports Passage of 2021 ‘EDHI Act’

The House of Representatives passed “HR 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021,” on a 410-17 vote. The bill would reauthorize the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the ACI Alliance said in its announcement.

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Senate Mulls “Build Back Better Act” and Coverage of Hearing Aids by Medicare

The $1.9 trillion Build Back Better Act was passed by the US House of Representatives on Friday, November 19, and is now with the Senate for what is sure to be a bumpy ride. The bill includes coverage of hearing aids once every 5 years for people with severe to profound hearing loss, as well as funding for universal preschool, expanded Child Tax Credits, several health and pandemic-related initiatives, renewable energy credits, and more.

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‘NBC News’ Article Discusses OTC Hearing Aids

A recent article appearing on the “NBC News” website by Phil Galewitz with “Kaiser Health News,” discusses the expansion of over-the-counter hearing devices currently on the market for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, in the absence of FDA regulations governing the 2017 “Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Law.”

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