WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a rule today that will increase access to hearing aids by making them available over-the-counter, an issue Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) has been championing since 2017:
“Hearing aids should be just as accessible as reading glasses,” said Carter. “Only 1 in 5 Americans who need a hearing aid use one, mainly due to the four figure price tag. This rule will open doors and improve the health and well-being of patients nationwide. As a pharmacist and long-time advocate of over-the-counter hearing aids, I applaud the FDA for taking this common-sense, bipartisan step.”
The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in August 2017 as part of a larger reauthorization of the FDA. Rep. Carter joined former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy (D-MA) in introducing the hearing aid provision.
Rep. Carter spoke in favor of this rule at a recent Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on FDA user fee reauthorization.
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