FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Lucid Hearing, LLC, a Fort Worth-based provider of advanced hearing technology and audio solutions, is offering its over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to consumers in more than 450 Sam’s Club locations nationwide starting today.
An August ruling finalized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opens up a market for OTC hearing devices, a long-awaited industry event for which Lucid Hearing has been preparing for years.
“We’re ready and excited to offer consumers affordable and accessible hearing aids that comply with all FDA regulations and provide those with hearing impairments a broad range of designs and product features. Our technology for these devices has been in the making for years and is based on research done in conjunction with the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), a top audiology research university.”
–Lucid Hearing President and COO Jason Kidd
The FDA ruling allows for consumers ages 18+ to purchase hearing aids for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss without a medical visit, an audiogram test or prescription.
While testing is not required for OTC hearing aids, most hearing experts agree that a hearing test is the best way for consumers to accurately measure their degree of hearing loss and determine which product offers the right support for their needs (an OTC product or a prescriptive hearing aid).
Lucid Hearing offers free hearing tests for people age 19+ at more than 500 hearing centers across the nation, most located inside Sam’s Club locations.
According to the company, Lucid’s OTC hearing aids will generally range in price from $199.99 to $1,699.99 and can be purchased through Sam’s Club both in-club and online, plus other retail outlets and through Amazon and lucidhearing.com. Sam’s Club pricing for Lucid’s OTC hearing aids will range from $199 to $799.
Executive Vice President of Research and Development Bennett Griffin noted that the company’s OTC hearing aids will offer numerous features including wireless streaming and varied styles including discreet in-ear offerings. He added that Lucid’s significant investment in scientific and innovative pre-set programs developed as a result of the UTD audiology research offer a unique advantage in that they will cover the vast majority of consumers’ perceived mild to moderate hearing loss needs.
“Lucid Hearing has deep roots and decades of experience with hearing research and technology. Now we’re able to offer our expertise with OTC devices to millions of consumers who may not otherwise get help for their hearing loss, allowing them to reconnect with the sounds and experiences that matter most”
–Executive Vice President of R&D, Bennett Griffin
According the to the Hearing Loss Association of America, only one in five people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one. Lucid Hearing says that it will continue to partner with Sam’s Club to sell its prescriptive devices, in addition to its OTC hearing aids.
About Lucid Hearing
Since its founding in 2009, Lucid Hearing’s mission has been to advance hearing healthcare holistically across its family of brands that encompass hearing enhancement, enjoyment, protection, detection and wellness. Lucid Hearing has a strong engineering team that designs and engineers products in the United States. The company has helped close to 300,000 nationwide hear better through its hearing aid solutions, and it has aided millions inclusive of its hearing aids and hearing protection products. Lucid Hearing’s dedicated licensed hearing professionals provide free hearing tests and prescriptions to match a consumer’s specific hearing loss at one of 500+ Lucid Hearing centers. For more information about Lucid Hearing, visit LucidHearing.com.
Source: Lucid
