ORLANDO, Fla. — Millions of Americans can now buy hearing aids over the counter and without a prescription.
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This is all because of a change the Food and Drug Administration made in August.
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Before the change, you needed to make a trip to a licensed audiologist to get a hearing aid.
On average, that costs between $4,000 and $5,000.
But now, you can buy a pair at stores like Best Buy or Amazon.
Read: FDA approves over-the-counter sale of hearing aids
The cheapest hearing aids are less than $100.
“There’s no reason why someone wouldn’t still see a doctor but from there then you’re not constrained by having to pay several thousand dollars for prescription hearing aids, you can just get over the counter which may be all you need,” said Dr. Frank Lin with Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center.
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Until now, only about one-fifth of Americans over 70 were able to comfortably afford hearing aids.
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