[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 189 (Wednesday, October 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I hear from Iowans all the time about 
the high cost of hearing aids. The $5,000 or $6,000 or even $10,000 
costs are often shocking for seniors who are on fixed incomes.
  Thirty-eight million Americans, and, obviously, most of the time 
adults, have hearing loss. Hearing loss makes it harder to work, harder 
to socialize, and then easier to become isolated.
  In 2016, I began a bipartisan effort with Democratic Senator Warren 
of Massachusetts to allow consumers to purchase over-the-counter 
hearing aids. If you can buy nonprescription reading glasses over the 
counter, it makes very good sense that you should be able to buy basic, 
safe hearing aids as well.
  When Senator Warren and I began our efforts, our goal was simple: By 
making more products more easily available to consumers, this 
competition will increase and then lead to lower costs.
  Despite every special interest, we passed in 2017 a bill that is 
entitled the ``Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act.'' Last week, the FDA, 
just now, released proposed regulations for over-the-counter hearing 
aids. This is very welcomed news, but it took the FDA bureaucracy more 
than 3 years to draft regulations.
  Senator Warren and I pressed both the Trump administration and now 
the Biden administration to take action, get these regulations out so 
we can get these over-the-counter hearing aids on the market. I am glad 
that the FDA finally did its job.
  Now the same Iowans who told me about the high cost of hearing aids 
can comment on the draft regulations. So everybody who wants to make 
such comments has until January 18 of next year to make comments on the 
draft regulations.
  As long as the FDA bureaucracy acts--and I hope they will be 
listening--I expect Iowans can purchase over-the-counter hearing aids 
sometime in early 2022.
  This is good news for Iowans and for Americans, generally.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.