hearing loss

The ads for supplemental Medicare Advantage plans describe vision and dental benefits, even grocery discounts and food deliveries. But look at the fine print.

For decades, the FDA has regulated hearing aids as prescription medical devices — an arrangement that adds to the cost and effort people must invest to get them.

Hearing loss often happens gradually and earlier than expected. Getting hearing aids can help stave off side effects like depression and even early death.

About a quarter of adults who think their hearing is fine actually have some hearing loss, according to the CDC. And many of them are in their 20s. Activities of daily living are often to blame.

Traditional hearing aids can be too expensive for many people. But a new type that uses Bluetooth technology costs only about $300. The company that makes the new devices aims to reach millions of people around the world who need hearing aids but have trouble paying for them.