Money and Computing
FDA Finalizes Historic Rule Enabling Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for Millions of Americans More Affordable Hearing Aids Could Be in Stores as Soon as Mid-October
As of August 17, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule to improve access to hearing aids which may in turn lower costs for millions of Americans. This action establishes a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers without the need for a medical exam, prescription or a fitting adjustment by an audiologist. The rule is expected to lower the cost of hearings aids, furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of expanding access to high-quality health care and lowering health care costs for the American public. It is designed to assure the safety and effectiveness of OTC hearing aids, while fostering innovation and competition in the hearing aid technology marketplace. more »
*Weekly Congressional Legislative Update on August 22; Research Program for Risks Posed By Components of Menstrual Products; National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month, Amending Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Introduced August 22: A bill to establish a program of research regarding the risks posed by the presence of dioxins, phthalates, pesticides, chemical fragrances, and other components of menstrual products and intimate care products. Previously Intrduced: A bill to prohibit the implementation of the proposed rule entitled "Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities." The proposed rule would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex and other characteristics in certain health programs. A resolution expressing support for the designation of November 20, 2022, through December 20, 2022, as "National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month." The resolution finds that more than half of women who are victims of homicides are killed because of intimate partner violence. A bill that would expand Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) eligibility for members of the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan. more »
McKnights Long-Term Care News*: Primary Care Clinicians On Front Lines of Early Alzheimer’s Care in Rural U.S., Study Reveals
“Specialty care, including neuropsychological assessments, are pretty critical for people with dementia to get an accurate diagnosis and set a symptom management plan,” said Wendy Yi Xu of Ohio State’s College of Public Health, in a statement accompanying the study’s publication in JAMA Network Open. “These are advanced, complex tests that most primary care physicians are not trained to perform.”
ALICIA LASEK
Primary care doctors and nurse practitioners, rather than specialists, are more likely to provide care for early-onset dementia in rural areas, putting these patie… more »
Senator Ron Wyden's Office: On Health Care, Inflation Reduction Act Includes the Culmination of Wyden’s Work On the Finance Committee to Address the High Cost of Prescription Drugs
“For too long, Medicare has been forced to contend with Big Pharma with one hand tied behind its back – that ends when this bill is signed into law,” said Wyden. “Ever since I became the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, I have been spotlighting how the drug pricing system is broken top to bottom. At last, the Senate has begun to redefine the relationship between Medicare and Big Pharma. That work began last Congress on a bipartisan basis, and virtually the entirety of the Finance Committee’s work two years ago is included in the Inflation Reduction Act. Democrats have taken the critical next step by lifting the curse that has prevented Medicare from negotiating lower prices." more »