Province opens path for over-the-counter hearing aids
Posted April 28, 2026
Ontario is considering allowing over-the-counter hearing aids to be sold and activated without a prescription, a move the province says would broaden access to hearing support for residents with mild hearing loss while leaving the existing publicly funded system intact.
The government announced Tuesday it is launching a 30-day public consultation on proposed regulatory changes that would permit certain consumer devices — including in-ear headphones and earbuds with built-in hearing aid functions — to be used in Ontario.
At present, all hearing aids sold in the province require a prescription from a regulated health professional. As a result, manufacturers that already offer hearing-enhancement technology in consumer devices are unable to activate those features for Ontario users.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the proposed change would remove barriers and offer residents another option for addressing hearing loss.
“Expanding access to over-the-counter hearing aids without a prescription would reduce barriers to treatment for hearing loss,” Jones said in a statement.
The province said the proposal would not replace Ontario’s current hearing-aid system or affect public coverage through the Assistive Devices Program, which helps eligible residents with long-term hearing loss pay for prescribed devices.
That program covers up to 75 per cent of the cost of prescribed hearing aids, to a maximum of $500 per device.
Over-the-counter products would not qualify for provincial funding, but the government said they would complement the existing model by offering more consumer choice and convenience.
The proposal forms part of Ontario’s Health Innovation Pathway, a provincial initiative aimed at accelerating the approval and adoption of new medical technologies, digital tools and care models.
If approved, Ontario would become one of the first provinces in Canada to move toward a regulatory model already adopted in the United States, where federal authorities cleared certain over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in 2022.
The consultation is open through Ontario’s Regulatory Registry. The province said it will review submissions before making any final policy decisions.
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