GOOD: Congress Approves Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids. “Clinical studies of 125 patients reviewed by the FDA indicated that on average the outcomes for the self-fitted OTC hearing aid were comparable to those for people who had the device fitted by a hearing professional.”

Requiring a prescription for a hearing aid always seemed to me like the silliest kind of rent-seeking. It doesn’t exactly require a medical professional to figure this stuff out: If it’s too small, get a bigger one; If it’s too big, try a size down; Too quiet, turn it up; Too loud, turn it down.