- In this video, I'm gonna tell you everything
you need to know about the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act.
Coming up.
(lively music)
Hi guys, Cliff Olson,
Doctor of Audiology,
and Founder of Applied Hearing Solutions
in Phoenix, Arizona.
And on this channel,
I cover a bunch of hearing-related information
to help make you a better informed consumer.
So if you're into that,
make sure you hit that subscribe button.
And don't forget to click the bell
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Almost exactly two years ago,
President Donald Trump signed into law
the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017,
which we commonly think of as
the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act.
This law will require the FDA to create and regulate
a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids,
that are designed to treat perceived
Mild to Moderate hearing loss,
and they'll have to do this within three years.
Following 180 day comment period,
after the initial release of these guidelines,
we expect this one to take effect at some point in 2020,
giving consumers with hearing loss
an additional option to treat their hearing loss.
But what does this mean for an individual with hearing loss?
Well I'm gonna go over the seven things
that I think that you need to know
about the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act.
Number one, it will provide increased access
to hearing aids.
Without the requirement to have a hearing evaluation,
you'll be able to purchase devices online
or in stores like Walmart, Target and CVS.
So if you live in an area where you don't have access
to a hearing healthcare provider,
or you can't afford professional services,
you will now have an easier time
of acquiring hearing aids
that you can use to self-treat your hearing loss.
Number two, it will eventually lead to the creation
of self-fitting hearing aid technology
by consumer electronics companies.
I say eventually because I think it's gonna take
quite some time for companies like BOSE, Samsung or Apple,
to create products that are really viable
in the hearing aid space.
Now I know that BOSE already has De Novo Status
to market their hearing aid devices,
but those devices have not been released yet
and we really don't know what they're gonna be like.
If we're lucky, we'll see existing hearing aid companies
creating over-the-counter hearing aid devices
because they will be light years ahead
of where consumer electronics companies will be
once these guidelines are released.
And number three, it could lead
to the possible regulation of the wildly
unregulated direct-to-consumer hearing aid marketplace.
Now I say possible regulation,
because the FDA does a horrible job
of regulating the direct-to-consumer marketplace right now.
In fact, there are companies out there
that are already making claims that they have
the first FDA-approved over-the-counter hearing aid,
which is impossible,
because the FDA has already issued a letter
to all of these hearing aid manufacturers
warning them not to market their products
as over-the-counter hearing aids,
because until the guidelines are established,
there is no such thing as an over-the-counter hearing aid.
Myself and hundreds of other consumer advocates
reported some of these companies to the FDA
who are marketing their devices
as the first FDA-approved over-the-counter hearing aids.
Eventually, the FDA issued a response stating
that they are aware that some companies
are marketing products with claims
that they are over-the-counter hearing aids,
and referenced the letter that they sent to manufacturers
not to market using these claims.
Basically saying that they know that they're in violation
but they're not gonna do anything about it.
And if the FDA decides not to actually
enforce their own guidelines,
the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act is gonna be pointless,
because you're not gonna know
which devices are legitimate over-the-counter hearing aids
and which ones are there made by companies
just trying to rip you off.
However, if the FDA actually does
decide to enforce their guidelines,
that is the best case scenario
because it will make the direct-to-consumer
hearing aid market significantly safer for consumers.
Number four, it could put you at risk
of improperly treating your hearing loss.
Over-the-counter hearing aids will be intended
to treat perceived Mild to Moderate hearing loss.
Which is kind of crazy because I have patients
who come into my clinic every week,
who have a Severe to Profound hearing loss,
and they swear up and down
that they don't have a hearing loss.
This is because it is nearly impossible
for you to know how severe your hearing loss is
based on perception alone.
Now if you believe that you have
a Moderate to Mild hearing loss,
and then you go and try one
of these over-the-counter hearing aids,
and your hearing loss is actually a Severe hearing loss,
you're not gonna be getting any benefit from these devices,
which might lead you to believe that
hearing aids just won't work for you,
which couldn't be further from the truth.
There are also a number of different hearing losses,
like Unilateral Hearing Losses,
Sudden Hearing Losses,
and Conductive Hearing Losses;
that if left undetected
because you're not having a hearing evaluation,
could cause serious health implications
beyond just not being able to hear.
Number five, over-the-counter hearing aids
will likely not drive down the costs
of traditional hearing aid treatment.
Now despite what all the media outlets are saying,
consumer electronics companies are not getting into
the over-the-counter hearing aids space to save you money.
They are getting in it to make money.
That being said, I do expect their products
to be significantly cheaper
than what you can get inside of a hearing aid clinic.
Besides, the cost of traditional hearing aid treatment
not only includes the cost of the technology,
it also includes the cost of the professional services
required to maximize and maintain optimal performance
with whatever devices you have.
So while you will be able to save money
with over-the-counter hearing aids,
don't expect it to have a direct impact
on the existing hearing aid industry.
Number six, there is no guarantee
that your over-the-counter hearing aids
will actually be programmed correctly.
I believe the biggest drawback
of over-the-counter hearing aids
is your inability to verify on your own
if your hearing aids are programmed correctly.
Most individuals with hearing loss
significantly underestimate
the amount of the amplification that's required
for them to hear their best,
which is exactly why verification
of hearing aids using Real Ear Measurement
is so critical to your performance.
Now if you don't know what Real Ear Measurements are,
I highly recommend that you watch my video
that I will go ahead and link in the description.
And number seven, it will likely lead
to the demise of bad hearing care providers.
Now don't get me wrong.
There are hearing care providers out there
that are worth every penny of what you pay them
to make sure that you are receiving
the maximum amount of benefit with your hearing treatment.
But there will inevitably be bad hearing care providers
who are forced out of the industry
because they are providing you
with no additional value beyond what you can get
with over-the-counter hearing aids alone.
I like to say that the number one variable
of success with hearing treatment
is not the hearing devices alone,
but it is your hearing care provider's
willingness to follow best-practices,
like Real Ear Measure that I mentioned before.
Now I receive dozens of emails and phone calls every week
asking, where the heck can I find
a hearing care provider who follows best-practices?
And this is exactly why I'm starting
the Doctor Cliff Approved Provider Network.
In October of 2019, I will be starting a provider network
of individuals who I have personally vetted
to be following best-practices.
This way you can be 100% confident
that the provider you're going to
actually has your best interests in mind.
So if you end up trying over-the-counter hearing aids,
and they end up not working for you,
don't just give up hearing treatment.
Check out my website, DrCliffAud.com,
find a provider near you,
and go and get your hearing tested,
and find out what your best treatment options are.
All right guys it's about time for me
to wrap up this video.
And I just wanna say that I am 100%
in support of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act.
Because I think of over-the-counter hearing aids
kind of like reading glasses.
If you're having a little bit of difficulty
seeing fine print,
you can just go to the grocery store
and get yourself a set of reading glasses
without having to have a vision exam
and without having to have a prescription made.
And if the day comes that those readers
are no longer effective for you,
you can always go in and see your optometrist
to get an actual prescription
for your next set of glasses.
The simple fact is you may not need, want,
or be able to afford the ideal hearing treatment,
and I completely understand that.
I just wanna make sure that you educate yourself
so when these over-the-counter hearing aids
start hitting the market,
you can make an informed decision
on which treatment option is right for you.
That's it for this video.
If you have any questions,
leave them in the comment section below.
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I'll see you next time.
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