MedTech Terms
    The authoritative reference
    All terms
    Market SegmentsStrategic Landscape

    Hearing Devices

    Air-conduction and bone-conduction hearing aids, OTC hearing aids, and cochlear implants, spanning Class I, II, and III pathways.

    Reviewed by Christian Espinosa, Founder, Blue Goat CyberLast reviewed May 9, 2026

    Definition

    The hearing-devices segment covers prescription air-conduction hearing aids, the FDA-created OTC hearing aid category (effective October 2022 under 21 CFR 800.30), bone-anchored hearing systems, and cochlear implants. The 2022 OTC rule fundamentally restructured the consumer end of the market by allowing direct-to-consumer sale of mild-to-moderate hearing-loss devices to adults without an audiologist visit.
    What the regulation says
    21 CFR 800.30 (OTC hearing aids), 21 CFR 874.3300 (prescription hearing aids), and 21 CFR 874.3450 (bone-conduction). Cochlear implants are Class III PMA devices under product code MCM.

    What this means in practice

    OTC hearing aids brought new entrants (Apple AirPods Pro hearing-aid feature, Sony, Bose) and price compression on traditional prescription products. Insurance coverage remains uneven; Medicare does not cover most hearing aids.
    Common pitfalls
    • Marketing personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) with hearing-loss claims, that triggers FDA hearing-aid regulation.
    • Forgetting that pediatric hearing aids remain prescription-only under the OTC rule.
    Grouped by theme

    Primary references

    3 sources
    Link health: 3 verified· last checked 2026-06-20
    FDA·1MedTech Europe·1MedTech Dive·1
    1. 1
      FDA, OTC Hearing Aids Final Rule
      Verified
      FDAfda.gov
    2. 2
      MedTech Europe - Facts & Figures
      Verified
      MedTech Europemedtecheurope.org
    3. 3
      MedTech Dive
      Verified
      MedTech Divemedtechdive.com

    Inline markers like [1] jump to the matching reference above.