FDA (and all health agencies) get a lot of flack for being regressive and slow. So I thought I'll share a bit of positive news this friday that at least something is moving in the right direction when it comes to healthcare.<p>For many, many years, hearing aids have cost thousands of dollars and needed a prescription in this country. Boggled my mind when I tried to get one for my father.<p>This tech is been around enough that it (at least a major part of it) should be a commodity - like eye glasses or dental prosthetics. And now it is. Walmart says they will sell them for as little as $199. That used to be $3000-$5000 or beyond before.<p>This is esp. relevant because Medicare (which covers 82M+ of our seniors) doesn't pay for hearing aids (<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hearing-aids" rel="nofollow">https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hearing-aids</a>) AT ALL. So the people who needed hearing aids were least likely to get help for getting them. That'll change a lot this coming Monday.<p>Hearing loss is a (sometimes implicit) huge risk for health and general wellness. It leads to gradual social isolation and can amplify other comorbidities. <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss" rel="nofollow">https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-preventi...</a><p>Props to FDA for going in the right direction.<p>(although I'm still baffled and very angry about Aduhelm. <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/medicare-ruling-aduhelm-controversial-alzheimer-drug-critics/" rel="nofollow">https://khn.org/news/article/medicare-ruling-aduhelm-controv...</a>)