OTC Hearing Aids: Designing and Delivering an OTC Benefit
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At first glance, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids may seem like a straight-forward proposition for health plans and their members. Specifically, the latest U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules — coming 50 years after the last federal regulations — allow consumers to obtain OTC hearing aids without professional involvement, making hearing care potentially more accessible and less costly.
However, a closer examination reveals both pros and cons associated with OTC hearing aids and offering an OTC benefit.
On one hand, health plans can make hearing care more accessible to their members. For Medicare Advantage plans, in particular, an OTC hearing aid benefit may enable them to attract and retain more members.
But there are potential pitfalls as well. Without a hearing care professional’s involvement, for example, individuals may misdiagnose their hearing loss, resulting in OTC hearing aids that do not meet their needs and end up not being worn. Other concerns include the safety of OTC hearing aids and the potential for fraud, waste and abuse. (Click here for a more in-depth look at the pros and cons.)
For health plan leaders who determine that the pros outweigh the cons, the question becomes “How do we design and deliver an OTC benefit that’s an asset to our health plan while building in protections for our members and our organization?”
Moving forward: crucial considerations
First of all, we believe that offering an OTC benefit is not a one-size-fits-all approach for health plans and their members. Health plan leaders should consider their population's health needs and circumstances in addressing the following criteria:
Recommendations and best practices
Amplifon Hearing Health Care has been planning for the rollout of OTC hearing aids since 2017. Our proactive approach has included advocating for consumer safeguards and developing virtual services to support members with OTC and prescription hearing aids.
While the FDA does not require health plans to offer OTC hearing aids, here are four key recommendations for those considering the option:
Implement safeguards to protect members. We advise health plans to start with a well-designed offering that includes select OTC products evaluated by a clinical committee experienced in managed hearing health care. We also recommend requiring, at minimum, an online hearing test to ensure OTC products are compatible with the member’s hearing loss. Also, keep in mind that 91% of adults 50 to 80 years old cannot correctly identify “normal” hearing.[1]
Now is the time to carefully weigh the potential value of an OTC offering for your members. Amplifon can help you evaluate if an OTC hearing benefit is right for your plan.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8843398
[2] EuroTrak UK 2018, BIHIMA
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