BOSTON (AP) — Americans with hearing loss could soon be able to buy hearing aids over the counter under a plan championed by Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The measure was included in a Food and Drug Administration reauthorization bill that passed the Senate Thursday. The House passed the bill in July.
The bill was sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Warren says 48 million people have hearing loss, but fewer than one in six get the devices because they’re too expensive.
She says the bill would reduce regulations and open up the market so the cost of hearing aids could drop. She says some cost thousands of dollars, but under the bill, those prices could drop into the hundreds of dollars.
Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy also supports the bill.
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