Skip to content
American Academy of Audiology
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Honors and Awards
    • Get Involved
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Students
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Renew
American Academy of Audiology
Member Login
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Honors and Awards
    • Get Involved
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
October 19, 2022

Have You Heard?
An Update for Academy Members from the Academy’s Executive Director

OTCs, Audiologists, and the Academy

  • Government Relations News
By Patrick Gallagher, MBA, Executive Director

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids (HAs) became officially available on Monday, October 17, 2022, and their introduction has been met with much fanfare in the media. Within the Academy community, the reaction has been more measured. The Academy has recognized that OTC HAs may be a way for adults to get started managing hearing loss; however, to really know what is the best treatment, consumers should see an audiologist for a hearing evaluation. 

Unfortunately, some OTC promotions have not included the same type of common-sense advice. At one extreme, audiologists are viewed as nothing more than an intermediary whose services are simply a markup. At another extreme is how one OTC manufacturer describes its OTC product as “audiologist quality.” Have you ever heard of an “audiologist quality” hearing aid? The only things that can be considered “audiologist quality” are the services provided by an audiologist, not a device. 

A White House press release purports that consumers will realize cost savings of up to $3,000 per pair of OTC HAs. This release, as well as other claims of cost savings, do not mention that some traditional hearing aids are available at comparable prices. More importantly, they do not explain that the cost differentials do not consider the services of audiologists to treat hearing loss.

The omission of or diminishing role of audiologists in hearing health is not good advice. The availability to access an OTC HA device at a local retail outlet may inspire some individuals to take a first step toward treating hearing loss, but the success of the treatment will be fully realized with the expert guidance and assessment by the audiologist.

A more comprehensive solution to untreated hearing loss needs to go beyond the device and address policy changes in Medicare for direct access to audiology services and recognition of audiologists as clinicians, not suppliers.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that it is only by receiving care from an audiologist that you can be assured of “audiologist quality.” The Academy has been working on your behalf to provide expert recommendations and information throughout the OTC regulatory process. From providing Academy members with updated information to working with federal regulators to prevent unintended disruptions in the ability of audiologists to provide care, the Academy has been there for you.

Review Academy-developed OTC resources and an upcoming Academy webinar (November 1, 8:00 pm ET) on this topic.

OTCs are just one area where the Academy is advocating on your behalf to represent your interests and those of your patients. The Academy is working to demonstrate why hearing screening and receiving care from an audiologist result in better health outcomes. You know this to be true, but we need to develop the research, evidence, and clinical practice guidelines to convince policy makers of the importance of hearing health care. 

For the Academy to continue to effectively represent the profession, we need audiologists to be members of the Academy and participate in these efforts to promote evidence-based care. 

Please renew today (gift card offer for those who renew online before November 1)! At a time when some are minimizing audiology’s role in hearing health care, the Academy is dedicated to bolstering audiology’s role. 

Share this

Related Posts

From Capitol Hill to Your Clinic: SPAN July Meeting on Medicaid Cuts

EHDI Program at Risk

Unlocking Patient Choice: Academy Supports NC Bill on Hearing Aid Transparency

Recent Posts

Audiology in the News

A Virtual Reality System for Delivery of Military-Specific Vestibular Rehabilitation After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Praxis Study Protocol

In an article by Alroumi et al. (2025), treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) through the use of virtual reality (VR) system was investigated….

Read More
Government Relations News

From Capitol Hill to Your Clinic: SPAN July Meeting on Medicaid Cuts

The State Policy Advocacy Network (SPAN) will convene again on July 29 for a critical meeting about Medicaid funding. SPAN brings together nationwide audiologists and…

Read More
The White House from the sky
Government Relations News

EHDI Program at Risk

On April 1, President Trump’s administration eliminated the entire branch of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program that works with states to analyze…

Read More
wave-mark

Join the Academy

Academy members receive many benefits for professional development, practice management, and community development.

Become a Member
COMM24-Academy_Website_Graphics-revised_logo(W)

American Academy of Audiology
11480 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191

Tel: 703-790-8466
Fax: 703-790-8631

  • Practice Resources
  • Education and Events
  • AAA Annual Conference
  • News and Publications
  • Careers
  • Advocacy
  • About the Academy
  • Consumers and Patients
  • Students
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Antitrust Policy and Guidelines
  • Terms of Use Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

© Copyright 2025 American Academy of Audiology

Website by Yoko Co

This content is an exclusive benefit for American Academy of Audiology members.

If you’re a member, log in and you’ll get immediate access.

 

Member Login

 

If you’re not yet a member, you’ll be interested to know that joining not only gives you access to top-notch resources like this one, but also invitations to member-only events, inclusion in the member directory, participation in professional forums, and access to patient resources, tools, and continuing education. Join today!

Scroll To Top
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.Ok