Jilla Anna Marie, Johnson Carole E, Danhauer Jeffrey L
Hearing Evaluation, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes (HERO) Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California.
Semin Hear. 2018 May;39(2):135-145. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1641740. Epub 2018 Jun 15.
Limited accessibility to and affordability of hearing health care (HHC) and hearing aids (HAs) are two reasons why people do not seek treatment for their hearing losses. This article is the first in a series of two and discusses affordability issues (i.e., billing models, cost-effectiveness, insurance coverage, and reimbursement) related to and provides a historical context for the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017. This piece of legislation supports development of a new class of over-the-counter HAs that represents a disruptive technology that may transform the HHC industry by reducing costs specific to the device. A discussion of ethical issues and the importance of using evidence-based practice guidelines set the stage for the second article in this series, which reviews relevant research on issues pertaining to persons with mild hearing loss.
听力保健（HHC）及助听器（HAs）获取途径有限且价格高昂，是人们听力损失后不寻求治疗的两个原因。本文是系列文章中的第一篇，共两篇，探讨了与2017年《非处方助听器法案》相关的可负担性问题（即计费模式、成本效益、保险覆盖范围和报销），并提供了该法案的历史背景。这项立法支持开发一类新型非处方助听器，这是一种颠覆性技术，可能通过降低设备特定成本来改变听力保健行业。对伦理问题的讨论以及使用循证实践指南的重要性为该系列的第二篇文章奠定了基础，第二篇文章将回顾与轻度听力损失患者相关问题的相关研究。
