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Article: Hearing aids.(health care costs)
- Article from:
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- Article date:
- July 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Townsend Letter Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Dr. Mead Killion, whom The Wall Street Journal calls "a hearing aid pioneer," is petitioning the FDA to relax its regulations on hearing aids so that the devices can become more affordable. Dr. Killion contends that aids for mild-to-moderate hearing loss could be sold over-the-counter for about $100. Current FDA regulations require consumers to have a medical doctor check for infection, acoustical nerve tumors, too much ear wax, or other medical problems before getting a hearing aid. This requirement can be waived if a person goes to a state-licensed hearing-aid specialist. Testing and fitting sessions, performed by these specialists, increase the average cost of a pair ...