Hearing Economics

New hearing device patents featured new players, new money, new concepts, interesting art work, and political commentary.  Today’s feature image, courtesy of Starkey’s USPTO #9264824, may not be great art but it succinctly states the company’s dim view of Keynesian economics and government tax ideology. The art award goes to Qualcomm, which joined the hearing aid patent club with  USPTO

“Signal & Noise” is a bimonthly column by Brian Taylor, AuD. Identifying and addressing the unmet needs of people with hearing loss means more than reducing costs (the Public Health Perspective) or improving devices (the Biomedical Perspective).  The extent and limits of those approaches were covered in part 1.  Today’s post suggests that we can meet people’s hearing needs better

In early February 2016, Bloomberg business reported on rumors that claimed the investment fund that owns AudioNova, HAL Trust, was considering selling the retail network buy mobic online mobic online no prescription . However, sales of centers along with various acquisitions by the AudioNova group have recently taken place across Europe. These structural changes look less like a sell-off than

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to achieve. (With apologies to Sir Walter Scott) Speaking as a dispensing audiologist (“provider”) who writes on economic issues related to hearing care (“blogger”), let the record show that the confusing landscape of rules and regulations (R&Rs) these days has brought on writer’s block and a fear of failure

“Signal & Noise” is a bimonthly column by Brian Taylor, AuD. I recently had the privilege of listening to a panel of distinguished executives from the leading hearing aid manufacturers and retailers. Aside from the pointless squabbling about who, among their competitors has a stake in corporate retail, and the irony that a female-dominated profession was represented by an all-male

“Peeling the Onion” is a monthly column by Harvey Abrams, PhD. As John takes action to purchase hearing aids, he is likely to proceed on the perception that hearing aids are medical devices, according to MT9 survey data reported in last week’s post.  Assuming he follows the medical path, he can consult a variety of professionals, including an ENT, his primary

“Peeling the Onion” is a monthly column by Harvey Abrams, PhD. When we last left John on his Journey toward better hearing (before taking some detours to the CDC and the PCAST), John was engaged in the preparation stage of his journey as defined by the Transtheoretical (stages of change) model of behavior.   Recall that the Transtheoretical (changes of

Downstream Consequences of Aging is a bi-monthly series written by guest columnist Barbara Weinstein, PhD. Audiologists are obligated under the 2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), which now includes domains of function directly related to age related hearing loss including depression.  Last post iterated the prevalence of depression and hearing loss in the US aging population; the cost burden of the conditions; epidemiological

Downstream Consequences of Aging is a bi-monthly series written by guest columnist Barbara Weinstein, PhD.   The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a program through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) designed to improve the quality of care to Medicare Part B beneficiaries by tracking practice patterns of health care practitioners.   PQRS Regulation Applies to Audiologists

On January 7, the Oticon vs GN Resound patent war came to an end with scarcely a shot fired.  Settling a “slew of patent disputes” was good news for Big 6 bottom line solidarity and uninterrupted technological innovation.   Words, Words, Words   While the FDA continues its decade-long struggle to parse and define ear technology, the innovators have moved on to