OTC vs. Prescription Hearing Aids: What Actually Changed
A few years ago, the rules for buying hearing aids in the U.S. changed in a big way. The FDA created a category of over-the-counter hearing aids — devices adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss can buy directly, without a prescription or a professional fitting.
That was genuinely good news for access and price competition. It also created a lot of confusion, because "cheaper and easier to buy" is not the same as "right for you."
OTC can be a smart entry point for some people. For others — more significant loss, one ear noticeably worse than the other, ringing, dizziness, or a sudden change — skipping the professional evaluation can mean missing something that actually needed attention. Hearing loss is sometimes a symptom, not just an inconvenience.
Worth flagging honestly: the OTC category is still fairly new, and the details — what's available, the rules, the pricing — keep evolving. Before you buy, check the current FDA guidance rather than trusting any article's snapshot, including this one.
In the book I lay out, in plain language, who's a good candidate for OTC, who really shouldn't skip a professional, and the questions that tell you which group you're in.