For many, many years, hearing aids have cost thousands of dollars and needed a prescription in this country. Boggled my mind when I tried to get one for my father.
This tech is been around enough that it (at least a major part of it) should be a commodity - like eye glasses or dental prosthetics. And now it is. Walmart says they will sell them for as little as $199. That used to be $3000-$5000 or beyond before.
This is esp. relevant because Medicare (which covers 82M+ of our seniors) doesn't pay for hearing aids (https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hearing-aids) AT ALL. So the people who needed hearing aids were least likely to get help for getting them. That'll change a lot this coming Monday.
Hearing loss is a (sometimes implicit) huge risk for health and general wellness. It leads to gradual social isolation and can amplify other comorbidities. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-preventi...
Props to FDA for going in the right direction.
(although I'm still baffled and very angry about Aduhelm. https://khn.org/news/article/medicare-ruling-aduhelm-controv...)