In 2017 President Trump signed into law the Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017, legislation that includes the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act designed to provide greater public accessibility and affordability with Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids. OTC hearing aids have made their way onto shelves, there are several bills recently introduced to include hearing aids under Medicare coverage that exclude hearing aid specialists and only allow audiologists to be providers. An increasing number of states are deregulating hearing aid licensure, and our very own state of South Carolina faces challenges in getting new people licensed due to the way the exam fees are written into our laws. We also have more third-party companies that continue to become a stronger presence in our marketplace.
Professional hearing care providers need to come together to help the millions of individuals who struggle with hearing loss and quality of life.