Hearing Aids and OTC Hearing Aids in Florida
Prescription or over-the-counter? What the 2017 OTC Hearing Aid Act changed, what Florida law guarantees you, what to do in the first weeks after you buy, and how to get the most from a Florida audiologist.
Which kind of hearing aid do I need?
If you are an adult with mild to moderate hearing loss, you can now buy over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids in a store or online without an exam or prescription. If your hearing test shows severe or profound loss, you are under 18, or your loss is in only one ear, you need prescription hearing aids fitted by a licensed audiologist or hearing aid specialist. When in doubt, get a hearing test first; it tells you which door to walk through and it is often free or covered.
- Prescription hearing aids are programmed to your audiogram by a licensed professional, work for every degree of hearing loss and every age, and come with fitting, adjustments and follow-up care.
- OTC hearing aids are for adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. They have limited maximum output and you set them up yourself, usually with a smartphone app.
- Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are not hearing aids. They are consumer electronics for people with normal hearing and are not regulated as medical devices.
What is the OTC Hearing Aid Act? (Sometimes called the Trump hearing aid act)
The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 is a bipartisan federal law that directed the FDA to create a category of hearing aids adults can buy without a prescription, exam or professional fitting. Congress passed it as part of the FDA Reauthorization Act, and it was signed into law in August 2017. Some people search for it as the Trump hearing aid act because it was signed during that administration; the law itself was sponsored by senators from both parties and HLAA advocated for it.
The FDA's final rule creating the OTC category took effect on October 17, 2022. Since then OTC hearing aids have been sold in pharmacies, big-box stores and online. The FDA requires OTC packaging to tell you to see a doctor if you have sudden hearing changes, ear pain, drainage, dizziness, or hearing loss in only one ear.
HLAA-FL's view: OTC hearing aids are a real option for adults with mild to moderate loss who cannot afford or reach a clinic, but a hearing test before you buy tells you whether they can work for you at all.
Sources: FDA: OTC hearing aids · HLAA: Hearing aids
What hearing aids cost
In HearingTracker's 2025 survey of more than 1,100 hearing aid buyers, the average price paid was $2,694 per pair. OTC buyers paid an average of $502 per pair; prescription buyers paid an average of $3,432. The full market runs from about $20 for basic OTC devices to more than $8,500 per pair. Prescription prices usually bundle the fitting, adjustments and a service period, so ask what is included before comparing numbers.
Florida Medicaid covers hearing aids for enrollees with moderate or greater hearing loss, Original Medicare covers none of the cost, and several Florida nonprofits provide free or reduced-cost aids based on income. Our financial assistance page lists every program with a link to its own site.
Sources: HearingTracker: How much do hearing aids cost · Financial assistance for hearing aids in Florida
Florida's 30-day trial law for prescription hearing aids
Florida Statute 484.0512 requires anyone selling a prescription hearing aid in Florida to give the buyer written notice of a 30-day trial period and money-back guarantee. You can cancel for a valid reason within 30 days of receiving the aids by returning them or mailing written notice. If the aids go back for repair or adjustment during the trial, the clock pauses for each day they are out of your hands. The seller may keep a reasonable cancellation fee set by board rule, so ask for that number in writing before you buy.
Source: Florida Statutes 484.0512
What is better than a hearing aid?
It depends on why the hearing aid is falling short. If you have severe to profound loss and hearing aids no longer give you usable speech understanding, a cochlear implant may do more than any hearing aid can. If the problem is distance and background noise, in church, at the theater, at a counter or in a meeting, the answer is usually assistive listening: a telecoil in your hearing aid plus a hearing loop in the room, an FM or infrared receiver, or Auracast broadcast audio. If the problem is the phone, a captioned telephone or a captioning app beats turning up the volume.
- Cochlear implants: for severe to profound sensorineural loss when hearing aids are not enough.
- Telecoils and hearing loops: sound from the microphone goes straight into your hearing aid, without room noise or echo.
- Captioned telephones and live captioning apps: read what you cannot hear.
- Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio: broadcast audio from TVs, venues and gates to compatible hearing aids.
Cochlear implants · Hearing loops and telecoils · Captioned telephones · Auracast
What to do after you buy hearing aids
Most people need a few weeks to adjust. Your brain has to relearn sounds it has not heard in years, and that is tiring at first. The NIDCD lists common early complaints, including a plugged-up feeling, whistling feedback, background noise and phone interference, and notes that most people get used to them with regular use and follow-up adjustments.
- Wear them every day, starting in quiet rooms and building up to restaurants and groups. Part-time use makes adjustment slower.
- Keep every follow-up appointment during the trial period and bring a list of situations that were hard. Adjustments are included; use them.
- Ask whether your hearing aids have a telecoil and have it activated. It is the key to hearing loops in churches, theaters and government buildings across Florida.
- Learn the app: programs, volume, Bluetooth streaming and, on newer models, Auracast.
- Ask about a rechargeable versus battery model, how long batteries last, and keep spares for hurricane season.
- Register the warranty and ask what loss and damage coverage costs.
- Consider a lipreading class and an HLAA-FL chapter meeting. Technology plus strategies beats either alone.
Source: NIDCD: Hearing aids
How to work with a Florida audiologist
Audiologists and hearing aid specialists are both licensed by the Florida Department of Health, and you can verify any license online. Bring your questions written down, bring a family member who can describe what they notice, and ask for a copy of your audiogram; it is yours. The NIDCD suggests asking which features are useful for your loss, the total cost, whether newer technology is worth the difference for you, the trial period and what fees are nonrefundable, warranty length, and whether service, repairs and loaner aids are included.
- Ask for an unbundled quote (device, fitting, and service listed separately) as well as the bundled price.
- Ask which models include a telecoil and Bluetooth LE Audio with Auracast support.
- Ask about real-ear measurement to verify the fitting matches your prescription.
- Ask whether the clinic accepts Florida Medicaid, your Medicare Advantage plan's hearing benefit, or VA community care.
How to find and check a Florida hearing professional · NIDCD: Questions to ask before buying
Hearing aid questions
What is the Trump hearing aid act?
People use that name for the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, a bipartisan law signed in August 2017 as part of the FDA Reauthorization Act. It required the FDA to create a category of hearing aids that adults with mild to moderate hearing loss can buy without a prescription or exam. The FDA rule took effect on October 17, 2022.
What is better than a hearing aid?
It depends on the problem. For severe to profound loss, a cochlear implant can do more than hearing aids. For noise and distance, a telecoil with a hearing loop, an FM system or Auracast delivers sound directly to your ears. For the phone, a captioned telephone or captioning app. Most people with hearing loss do best combining hearing aids with these tools.
Are OTC hearing aids any good?
For adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, quality OTC hearing aids can help, and in HearingTracker's 2025 survey buyers paid an average of $502 per pair versus $3,432 for prescription aids. They are not for children, severe or profound loss, or one-sided loss. Get a hearing test first so you know your loss is in the OTC range, and buy from a seller with a return period.
Can I return hearing aids in Florida?
For prescription hearing aids, yes. Florida Statute 484.0512 requires the seller to give you written notice of a 30-day trial period and money-back guarantee, and you can cancel for a valid reason within 30 days of receiving the aids. A reasonable cancellation fee may be kept. OTC hearing aids follow the store's return policy, so check it before you buy.
How long does it take to get used to hearing aids?
Most people need several weeks of daily wear. Early on, sounds seem loud or tinny, your own voice may sound plugged up, and background noise is distracting. The NIDCD notes that most people adjust with regular use and follow-up adjustments. Wear them all day, start in quiet places, and keep every follow-up visit during your trial period.
Talk with Floridians who wear them
HLAA-FL chapter meetings are free, captioned and full of people happy to tell you what worked for them and what did not.