The 2022 Rule Change That Lets Millions of Americans Skip the $4,000 Hearing Aid Appointment

If you keep turning up the TV or asking people to repeat themselves, here's what you should know before you spend thousands — or decide to do nothing at all.

HearWell by Nebroo: an over-the-counter, completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid sold directly by the manufacturer.

It usually starts small.

You catch yourself saying "what?" a little more often. Restaurants feel louder than they used to, yet somehow you understand less. The TV volume creeps up a notch every month — until someone in the house finally says something about it.

Most people shrug it off. "Everybody mumbles these days." But there's a reason so many adults wait years before doing anything about their hearing — and it isn't that they don't notice.

It's the price tag, the appointments, and the fear of wearing something everyone can see.

What many people still don't know is that the rules changed in 2022 — and that change opened a door most Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss haven't walked through yet.

What changed in 2022 (and why most people missed it)

For decades, getting a hearing aid in the U.S. typically meant a medical evaluation or a hearing exam, a fitting with a licensed professional, and a bill that could reach thousands of dollars.

In August 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule creating a new category: over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The rule took effect in October 2022 and allows adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss to buy hearing aids directly — no prescription, no medical exam, no fitting appointment required.^[1]

The FDA's stated goal was to lower costs and make hearing aids more accessible for the roughly 30 million American adults who could benefit from them.^[1]

Why this matters more than "just hearing better"

Untreated hearing loss isn't only about missing a joke at the dinner table. Researchers have been studying how it connects to much bigger parts of life:

• Social life: when conversations become work, many people start skipping gatherings, phone calls and family dinners — slowly, without even realizing it.
• Mental effort: straining to follow speech all day is tiring. Many people with hearing loss describe feeling exhausted after social events.
• Brain health research: the 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia listed hearing loss among the largest potentially modifiable risk factors it identified.^[3] And in the ACHIEVE trial led by Johns Hopkins researchers, a hearing intervention was associated with a 48% slower rate of cognitive decline over three years in a subgroup of older adults at higher risk — though no significant difference was seen in the overall study population.^[4]

Note: these studies looked at hearing loss and hearing care in general. They are not claims about any specific product, and no hearing aid is intended to prevent or treat dementia.

So why do so many people still wait?

Ask around and you'll hear the same three objections again and again:

• "They cost a fortune." Traditional prescription hearing aids have commonly been reported to cost several thousand dollars per pair — often around $4,000–$5,000 or more, and usually not covered by Medicare.^[5]
• "I don't have time for all the appointments." Exams, fittings, follow-ups, adjustments.
• "I don't want people to see them." For many, looking "old" is a bigger worry than hearing poorly.

This is exactly the gap one company decided to go after.

Free shipping · 120-day money-back guarantee · HSA/FSA eligible

Meet HearWell by Nebroo: small enough that people won't notice

HearWell by Nebroo is an OTC hearing aid built for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. It's a CIC (completely-in-canal) design, which means it sits inside the ear canal rather than behind the ear — so from the outside it's nearly invisible.

Each device measures about 0.79 × 0.51 inches, according to the manufacturer.

The "Vox Humana" chip: built for voices, not just volume

A common complaint with cheap sound amplifiers is that they make everything louder — including the clatter of plates and the hum of the air conditioner. According to Nebroo, HearWell uses a processing chip it calls "Vox Humana", designed to improve the clarity of speech, music and TV sound rather than simply boosting volume.

The company says this helps in the places where hearing loss is most frustrating: restaurants, family gatherings, card games and movie nights.

What you get, at a glance

• No prescription and no hearing test required — sold under the FDA's OTC hearing aid category for adults 18+.
• Nearly invisible CIC design with ultra-soft silicone ear domes.
• 10 sizes of ear domes included so you can find a snug, comfortable fit — even with a small or large ear canal.
• 6 volume levels, changed with a single click of a button.
• Rechargeable: up to 19 hours of use per charge, according to the manufacturer.
• Portable charging case that recharges the hearing aids about 3 times without being plugged in (full charge takes about 3–4 hours).
• 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects, at no extra cost.

How it compares

How can it cost so much less?

Nebroo says the lower price comes from the way it's sold, not from cutting corners:

• It sells only through its own website — no retail middlemen or markups.
• There are no clinic or audiologist visit costs built into the price.
• No expensive offices and no sales commissions to pay out.

Who HearWell is for — and who it isn't for

Honest answer first, because it matters:

A good fit if you…

• Are 18 or older and feel you have mild to moderate hearing loss.
• Mainly struggle with conversations, TV and noisy places.
• Want something discreet, rechargeable and affordable without clinic visits.

Not the right choice if you…

• Have severe or profound hearing loss.
• Experienced sudden hearing loss, hearing loss in only one ear, ear pain, drainage, or dizziness — see a doctor promptly.
• Are under 18.

Getting started takes about a minute

1. Charge — plug the USB-C cable into the charging case.
2. Choose your fit — pick the ear dome size that feels snug and comfortable (10 sizes included).
3. Insert and adjust — gently place the device into your ear canal and click the button to choose one of 6 volume levels.

What buyers are saying

The reviews below are summarized from customer reviews published on the official Nebroo website. The company reports more than 100,000 customers. Individual results vary.

Try them for 120 days, risk-free

Buying something for your ears online can feel like a leap. Nebroo removes most of the risk:

Bonus: the current offer also includes a free eBook, 10 Proven Ways to Improve Your Hearing Ability Naturally, according to the company's website.

You'll be taken to the official Nebroo website to see the current price.

Frequently asked questions