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Walmart Inc. said on Monday, Oct. 17, that it would start selling hearing aids over the counter. The retail company revealed that customers could buy the device even without a prescription and a medical exam by a doctor.
Walmart’s announcement comes shortly after the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) confirmed that a rule related to hearing aids had been officially changed. Companies have already been waiting for a long-time for this modification, and finally, it was approved.
As per CNN Business, with the new rule, rather than going to a hearing health doctor to get a prescription or have a custom fitting, individuals with mild to moderate hearing impairment can now simply go to stores like Walmart to buy hearing aids.
Shoppers can get over-the-counter hearing aids easily at select Walmart locations across the United States. Then again, it should be noted that the store will only sell to buyers who are 18 years old and above. Their case of hearing loss should also be just mild-to-moderate.
The confirmed Walmart locations where people can avail of the OTC hearing devices include the store’s Vision Centers in Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The FDA said its rule change would make hearing aids much more widely available and much cheaper across the country.
The new rule that was approved by the feds will allow people to save as much as $2,800 for a pair of hearing aids. These devices are not cheap, so the changed rule was most welcomed by the public and retail outlets.
Walmart will be offering different types of OTC hearing aids, and prices may range from $199 to $999 per pair. Customers can also choose from the hearing aid brands such as Bose’s Lexie and HearX for affordable prices.
“A person’s ‘whole health’ is a combination of many factors, including hearing, that influence physical and mental well-being,” Walmart’s chief medical officer, Dr. John Wigneswaran, said in a press release. “Offering easy access to OTC hearing aids is something that seems quite small and is a solution that can improve our customer’s health outcomes and their ability to live better and healthier.”
