ONTARIO-The Ontario government is launching a consultation to support the potential sale and use of over-the-counter hearing aids.
Officials say this change would expand access to convenient, accessible hearing support for Ontarians with mild hearing loss and is part of the province’s Health Innovation Pathway, a streamlined system focused on accelerating the adoption of new health technologies that help ensure more patients receive world-class care. This new measure would not in any way replace or impact Ontario’s existing model of prescription and coverage but would provide an additional option to support Ontario patients with more choice and convenience according to the government.
“Connecting Ontarians to more accessible health-care solutions is one more way our government is protecting the province’s health-care system,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Expanding access to over-the-counter hearing aids without a prescription would reduce barriers to treatment for hearing loss, enabling more people to return to the activities they enjoy most.”
Currently, all hearing aids in Ontario require a prescription from a regulated health professional and only a portion of the cost is covered by the province. Under current regulations, companies that manufacture in-ear headphones and earbuds with built-in hearing aid capabilities (otherwise referred to as over-the-counter hearing aids) are not permitted to activate those capabilities in Ontario. If amended following a period of consultation, proposed regulations would permit those capabilities to be activated, providing more choice and convenience for Ontarians. These changes would have no impact on the province’s current model of care and Ontario patients would continue to be able to receive prescribed hearing aids covered under the Assistive Devices Program.
Beginning today, the government will launch a 30-day consultation. Individuals, industry partners, health organizations and others will be invited to provide feedback on the proposed changes through Ontario’s Regulatory Registry. Following the consultation period, the government will consider feedback received through the consultation before making any future policy and regulatory decisions.
