Walmart Offers Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

(RTTNews) - Retail giant Walmart, Inc. (WMT) has begun offering over the counter (OTC) hearing aids to customers at affordable prices without a medical exam or fitting adjustment needed by an audiologist.

"Offering easy access to OTC hearing aids — something that seems quite small — is a solution that can improve our customer's health outcomes and their ability to live better and healthier," said Dr. John Wigneswaran, chief medical officer at Walmart.

The broad assortment of high-quality hearing aids will be available in the U.S. to customers who are 18 years and older with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The hearing aids will be available in the price range of $199 to $999 per pair.

This move by Walmart follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issuance of a final rule in mid-August to improve access to hearing aids which may in turn lower costs for millions of Americans. It establishes a new category of OTC hearing aids, enabling consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers.

The models available at Walmart will include top brands such as "Lexie powered by Bose" and "HearX" that will come in discreet and sleek designs, offering cutting-edge technology like Bluetooth and self-tuning app capabilities, at everyday low prices.

The OTC hearing aids are now available on Walmart.com and Walmart Vision Centers in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas, as well as 474 Sam's Club Hearing Aid Center locations. It will soon be available at additional Walmart Vision Centers nationwide.

In order to make the choice easier for customers, Walmart is providing additional resources online to help customers understand their OTC hearing aid options and find the right device for them. Eligible customers can use Affirm's pay-over-time options without any late or hidden fees.

Further, Walmart customers can also easily access a full range of health care services to address and proactively manage their health through preventative care at the state-of-the-art Walmart Health Centers.

At the centers, hearing tests and other health care services are provided to customers with the help of a team of qualified medical professionals. They also help customers assess potential hearing loss, rule out underlying medical conditions and determine if a hearing aid is right for them.

Walmart is on a mission to transform the cost and convenience of health care in the communities we serve, with ninety percent of the population located within 10 miles of a Walmart.