According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, more than half of U.S. adults say they have trouble hearing. Now that the Food and Drug Administration allows hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter, Kinney Drugs, a drug store company covering New York and Vermont, is launching a new hearing health program.
Kinney Drugs launched its new Hearing Health Center program in 52 stores. The program is designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. Judith Cowden, of Kinney Drugs, said the company partnered with Lucid Hearing to develop an online hearing assessment which could be taken in your own home.
"It repeats a series of numbers over various degrees of background noise and it gives you an assessment of your level of hearing loss."
Cowden said the goal of the Kinney Drugs program is to provide hearing aid devices are more affordable price points. Prescription products can be thousands of dollars. The over-the-counter products start at $40.
"This is just [a] much more approachable price point, in a much more accessible location to go and get a hearing aid for yourself or for someone you love," Cowden said.
Cowden said the company hopes to add more stores to the program in the spring. Anyone with severe or profound hearing loss or sudden hearing loss is advised to consult with a licensed hearing professional.
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