New Study Delves into Link Between Hearing Aid Use and Healthcare Costs
As members of AAA debate the merits of direct access legislation, a new study, published online April 26 at JAMA-Otolaryngology is apt to capture the attention of Medicare policymakers. Elham Mahmoudi and colleagues at the University of Michigan, using data from the 2013-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, evaluated hearing aid use among 1336 adults, aged…
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Bragi Announces Tinnitus Relief Feature in New Earbuds
At this week’s CES in Las Vegas, Bragi, a leading manufacturer of wireless earbuds, unveiled an expansion of their partnership with Mimi Hearing Technologies that plans to take their products into a new, health-oriented direction. According to sources, this new personal sound amplification product will continue to offer end-users hearing enhancement, but with an added…
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A Preview of CES 2018 Shows Consumer Audio and Hearing Aid Technology Continue to Morph
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — The annual Consumer Electronics Association meeting, held January 9th to 12th in Las Vegas, often provides us with a glimpse into the future. As user-friendly and relatively low cost consumer electronics devices continue to morph with stodgy medical devices. Billed as the world’s largest get-together of consumer electronic enthusiasts, the 2018…
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US Senate Passes OTC Hearing Aid Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC — The US Senate passed the FDA Reauthorization Act today. The legislation, as reported previously, contains a provision that directs the FDA to develop a category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. A House version of the bill was passed last month. The OTC provision of…
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Consumer Technology Association Unveils New Logo for OTC Hearing Aids at HLAA Convention
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) released a new logo for the potential new category of over-the-counter hearing aids for consumers with mild to moderate hearing loss. CTA unveiled the new logo at the annual convention of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), held last week in Salt Lake City,…
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As Vote Nears, HLAA Reaffirms Support of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act; Encourages Consumers to Contact Legislators
BETHESDA, MARYLAND — The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has reaffirmed its support this week of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 and has issued a call to action to encourage consumers, particularly those affected by hearing loss, to reach out to their Senators and Congressmen to vote in support of the legislation.…
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OTC Hearing Aid Opponents Find Unlikely Ally in Conservative, Pro-Gun Group
SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA — Opponents of the Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Act have found a new ally in a conservative gun-rights organization: Gun Owners of America (GOA). The 1.5 million-member organization has expressed concern that the measure would change the way certain hunting products are regulated, specifically Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs) which are used by many…
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Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act Re-introduced into New Congress
WASHINGTON, DC — The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 was introduced into the 115th Congress on Monday, March 20th. It is a bipartisan bill that would allow hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter (OTC) to address mild to moderate hearing loss. Like a similar bill introduced late last year, this bill was in sponsored…
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Australian Consumer Commission Puts Hearing Aid Industry “On Notice” Over Business Practices
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — Coinciding with World Hearing Day, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released a new report that puts the “hearing aid sector on notice”. The report, Issues around the sale of hearing aids, encourages industry reform, such as reconsidering commissions, disclosure and sales practices. The ACCC is Australia’s competition regulator and is tasked…
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Important Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Study Sheds Light on OTC Delivery Model
As most know, accessibility and affordability of hearing aids is a hot button issue of national importance. On March 3, for example, the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine posted a summary of the issue surrounding over-the-counter hearing aids on their website. Authored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) the…
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