What over-the-counter hearing aids in the U.S. could mean for Canada

Hearing aids just got dramatically cheaper in the U.S., now that major retailers and pharmacies are permitted to sell them over the counter. 

The change has many Canadians wondering whether it will happen in this country.

The move to allow Americans to obtain certain hearing aids without a prescription took effect this week, more than five years after the passage of a law directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create rules for over-the-counter sales of the devices. 

Studies by audiologists estimate that around three million Canadians have some degree of hearing loss that could be improved with hearing aids, yet 80 per cent don't wear them. 

Cost is thought to be a major reason: the most basic hearing aids available in Canada start at around $2,000 a pair. Stigma, difficulties getting hearing aids to work properly and unwillingness to admit to a hearing problem also factor in. 

Here's what you need to know about over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. 

There's broad consensus that this change will make hearing aids more affordable for millions of Americans who need them. 

Until the FDA was ordered to change its rules, hearing aids could only be obtained in the U.S. with a prescription. That required a visit to an audiologist or a specialist physician, with a full-fledged hearing test and medical evaluation. The cost of all those services were rolled into the sticker price of the hearing aids. 

Those requirements were unnecessary and served as "red tape and a barrier to more companies selling hearing aids," said the White House in a statement.

OTC hearing aids are intended for adults with "mild to moderate hearing loss," according to the FDA's new regulations. 

Over-the-counter models would not be suitable for adults with severe hearing loss or for children. 

U.S. retailers began offering hearing aids online and in store on Monday, when the new rules kicked in. 

Best Buy announced it was selling 20 models at prices from $200 US to $3,000 US per pair. WalMart's prices range from $199 US to $999 US a pair, while drugstore Walgreens began selling these hearing aids for $799 US. 

The companies describe these OTC hearing aids as "comparable" to versions that specialty hearing clinics sell for anywhere from $2,000 US to $8,000 US per pair.