Hear! Hear!

The Rolling Stones uttered what is perhaps the most accurate lyric of all time in Mother’s Little Helper: “What a drag it is getting old.” Sure, we get a little wiser, but our parts gradually wear out, and the replacements are limited by price, stigma, and effectiveness. A couple years ago, the F.D.A. took a step toward addressing the issue afflicting one of our parts by approving over-the-counter hearing aids. “The idea was to change the existing gatekeeper model, in which people could acquire prescription aids only through licensed professionals for several thousand dollars a pair. Instead, over-the-counter hearing aids that could benefit a majority of the people with hearing loss would be available for a few hundred dollars at any CVS or Walmart, no audiologist or prescription required. The F.D.A. had three years to develop those regulations; it took five. Finally, two years ago, the hearing health world braced for a transformation — one that still hasn’t quite happened.” That transformation could finally be kickstarted by Apple. In a few weeks, your Airpods will be transformed into a tool that operates both as a hearing test and a hearing aid. That removes the barrier of getting your hearing checked and it removes the stigma many people have about wearing hearing aids. What could make you look more young and cool than wearing your Airpods all day? I put that question to my kids, but neither one answered. The new Airpods have noise cancellation, too. NYT (Gift Article): The Cutting-Edge Hearing Aids That You May Already Own.