National retailers began selling over-the-counter hearing aids Oct. 17, about three months after President Joe Biden signed an executive order telling HHS to speed up the years-in-the-making promise.
The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act was passed in 2017, but enforcement of the act was dormant for about five years. Following the Aug. 16 executive order, Walgreens and Walmart both said their stores would stock the hearing aids — which are intended for mild to moderate hearing loss and do not require a physician's visit — by mid-October.
Walmart said in an Oct. 17 news release its over-the-counter hearing aids would be priced between $199 and $999 per pair, while Walgreens has previously said its option would be $799. A GoodRx analysis found that without insurance, hearing aids can cost between $2,000 and $7,000.
Of the 38 million people in the U.S. who have self-reported auditory difficulties, only about 20 percent use hearing aids, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Among adults who are 70 and older, that figure is slightly higher at 31.8 percent.