Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss should be able to buy reliable, over-the-counter hearing aids. Grassley was the lead Republican co-sponsor of a bill President Trump has signed that will establish federal standards for hearing aids sold in retail stores.

 

Medicare and private insurance plans rarely cover the cost of hearing aids. The new law requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish safety standards for amplification devices. Grassley says it means consumers will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription and without a medical exam.

 

Grassley says fewer than one in six Americans who NEED hearing aids buy them, because they’re too expensive.