# B.C. Makes Hearing Aids Accessible Over-the-Counter Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/vancouver-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7592122/b-c-makes-hearing-aids-accessible-over-the-counter Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/vancouver-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7592122/b-c-makes-hearing-aids-accessible-over-the-counter.md Podcast: [Vancouver News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!](https://stenobird.com/podcast/vancouver-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7592122) Published: 2026-06-17T23:02:39+00:00 Episode link: https://api.fastcast.ai/audio/eeedfc93-32c3-47b7-b960-7c784dddfd9c.mp3 Audio file: https://api.fastcast.ai/audio/eeedfc93-32c3-47b7-b960-7c784dddfd9c.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/vancouver-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7592122/episodes/b-c-makes-hearing-aids-accessible-over-the-counter Duration seconds: 83 ## Resource British Columbia just made a game-changing move: adults with mild to moderate hearing loss can now buy hearing aids over the counter without a doctor’s prescription—making it the first province in Canada to do so. Health Minister Josie Osborne highlighted how cost and access have long blocked people from getting help, while Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt emphasized how this change could restore dignity and independence for older adults on fixed incomes. With devices costing up to $11,000, this new policy removes major barriers, helping more people stay connected and engaged as they age. Support the show: Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: advertise@thednn.ai This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting. Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai. View sources & latest updates: https://sources.thednn.ai/22a7424fadf73036 ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/vancouver-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7592122/episodes/b-c-makes-hearing-aids-accessible-over-the-counter/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/vancouver-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7592122/b-c-makes-hearing-aids-accessible-over-the-counter.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.