FDA (and all health agencies) get a lot of flack for being regressive and slow. So I thought I'll share a bit of positive news this friday that at least something is moving in the right direction when it comes to healthcare.
For many, many years, hearing aids have cost thousands of dollars and needed a prescription in this country. Boggled my mind when I tried to get one for my father.
This tech is been around enough that it (at least a major part of it) should be a commodity - like eye glasses or dental prosthetics. And now it is. Walmart says they will sell them for as little as $199. That used to be $3000-$5000 or beyond before.
This is esp. relevant because Medicare (which covers 82M+ of our seniors) doesn't pay for hearing aids (https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hearing-aids) AT ALL. So the people who needed hearing aids were least likely to get help for getting them. That'll change a lot this coming Monday.
Hearing loss is a (sometimes implicit) huge risk for health and general wellness. It leads to gradual social isolation and can amplify other comorbidities. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-preventi...
Props to FDA for going in the right direction.
(although I'm still baffled and very angry about Aduhelm. https://khn.org/news/article/medicare-ruling-aduhelm-controv...)
