Leadership is rarely easy. This is because the times that true leadership is needed are rarely easy. In my more than 25 years in the hearing health care industry, I have found myself in this position several times. This is true, once again, as I write this. While I don’t pretend to have all of the answers, I have found that remaining true to three principles will help you lead your team, your company or your entire industry through any storm.
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Be Willing to Step Up
A few weeks ago, the White House issued an Executive Order compelling the Department of Health and Human Services to issue rules around over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. If you’re not familiar with this issue, in 2017, Congress passed a bill creating a new class of hearing aids to be sold in drugstores for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The Food and Drug Administration was tasked with defining the regulations around these devices.
Four years later, the FDA has yet to issue such rules. While many in the hearing industry, myself included, agree with the FDA that every voice should be heard on this issue before defining OTC devices, special interests aren’t being as patient. This regulation vacuum is making it easier for companies to pass off unregulated, low-quality amplification devices as hearing aids. This has prompted more than 15 states’ attorneys general, both Democrats and Republicans, to warn consumers about these devices that, at best, don’t actually help their hearing loss and, at worse, can further damage hearing. It’s no wonder the White House felt compelled to step in. However, in doing so, a stream of misinformation about the purpose of these devices followed suit, and OTC devices, meant only to help those with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, were being billed as the solution for all 48 million Americans with this condition.
As someone who has been outspoken about this issue in the past, I felt a responsibility to, once again, step up. I swiftly wrote an open letter to the White House, calling on President Joe Biden to help clarify the rhetoric around his Executive Order. The misinformation in the media was putting Americans’ health at risk.
When it comes to leading on an issue like this, you must be willing to put your name on the line for what you believe in. I know this is not an issue I can solve by myself, so as a leader, you must be bold and brave if you want others to follow.
Know Your Role
As the nation’s largest American-owned hearing aid manufacturer, Starkey is committed to educating the public about the importance of addressing hearing loss. Untreated hearing loss is linked to other health issues like cognitive decline and even dementia. However, the confusion around the issue of OTC hearing devices isn’t helping. The biggest barrier to treating hearing loss is not cost, it’s the stigma associated with wearing hearing aids. A hearing aid, like any medical device, comes with an investment. On average, an entry-level hearing aid fit by a hearing professional costs around $900. An advanced hearing aid averages about $1,600. What most people don’t understand about the hearing industry is that the price tag also includes clinical evaluations, the hearing aid fitting, care and warranty plans, follow-up consultations and adjustments and ear and hearing aid cleanings, all for the life of that device. This bundle approach ensures that people are getting the most out of these devices since hearing loss is so personalized. Not to mention, 30 states provide Medicaid coverage of hearing aids, and another 23 states require insurance to cover some portion of hearing aid costs.
On this issue, separating fact from fiction isn’t about just setting the record straight, it could mean that more people are addressing their hearing loss sooner. Educating the public and lawmakers about these key differences is an essential part to getting those with hearing loss the proper care they need. As a business leader, you must think of yourself as an industry thought leader who is ready and willing to educate the public at every opportunity.
Put People First
It’s not until the FDA finalizes rules around OTC hearing devices that consumers will clearly understand the difference between professionally fit, custom hearing aids and OTC devices. These technological and labeling requirements are so important because they will ensure OTC products are safe, effective and only sold to patients with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.
For me, this is what the entire OTC debate boils down to: people, and that means, as an industry leader, I must act
The patient journey is complicated enough. Like a fingerprint, every ear is unique, and that means every hearing loss requires personalized medicine through a trained hearing health professional. Hearing is essential to our everyday experiences. It is what ties us back to our families, our friends and our communities. When the pandemic shut down hearing clinics around the country, people with hearing loss were cut off from a vital resource during a time when staying connected has never been more important or more difficult. Hearing is essential. Ensuring everyone has access to hearing health is essential. This is why leadership on this issue is so important.
As a leader, when you are faced with complicated issues and swirling misinformation, you must use your voice. That is how real change happens.
