Massachusetts Licensing Requirements for Hearing Aid Dispensers

The profession of hearing aid dispenser is regulated at the state level and each state maintains its own standards for licensure or registration.

Initial Licensure Requirements

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
• Be of good moral character
• Have successfully completed a board approved 12 month apprenticeship, including completion of the apprentice training program and supervised work experience
• Hold current certification as a hearing instrument specialist from a board approved, nationally recognized body certifying hearing instrument specialists; or pass a written or electronic examination approved by the board and designed to test competencies and knowledge needed in hearing aid fitting and dispensing

Reciprocity

An individual who holds a license as a hearing instrument specialist or the equivalent as determined by the board from a state which is deemed by the board to have substantially equivalent or higher licensure requirements than those of the commonwealth may be licensed as a hearing instrument specialist without satisfying these requirements.

Continuing Education

Licensed hearings instrument specialists are required, as a condition of license renewal, to complete a minimum of twenty (20) contact hours of continuing education activities per continuing education period.

Audiologist Dispensing

Audiologists may dispense under an audiology license.

Board Composition

The board consists of five members appointed by the director and one nonvoting advisory member who shall be a dispensing audiologist in private practice who has engaged in hearing aid dispensing for at least three years. Members of the board shall be citizens of the United States and residents of the commonwealth. One member shall be a hearing aid user who has no affiliation in any way with hearing aid dispensing, three members shall be hearing instrument specialists registered in the commonwealth with a minimum of five years' experience in dispensing hearing aids and one member shall be a representative of the public who shall have neither hearing aid industry nor consumer affiliations.

Facilities, Procedures and Instrumentation

• The following minimum procedures shall be used in the fitting and selling of hearing instruments:
  • Pure tone audiometric testing by air and bone conduction pathways through a calibrated system in the appropriate environment to determine the type and degree of hearing deficiency;
  • Effective masking when indicated;
  • Appropriate testing using a calibrated system or other acceptable verification technique in the appropriate environment to determine client's hearing ability, as measured by the percentage words the client is able to repeat correctly, the client's ability to discriminate speech, the client's most comfortable and uncomfortable loudness levels in decibels, and the best fitting arrangement for maximum hearing aid benefit;
  • Otoscopic inspection of the outer ear;
  • A pertinent case history; and
  • A final fitting ensuring physical and operational comfort of the hearing aid.
• Mandatory disclosure. Any person with a 15 dB or greater difference between air conduction and bone conduction hearing, at three frequencies of 500 hz, 1000hz, and 2000hz in either ear, must be advised of the possibility of medical correction.
• At a minimum, the following required equipment shall be used:
  • A wide-range audiometer which meets the specifications of the American National Standards Institute for diagnostic audiometers;
  • A speech audiometer or a master hearing aid in order to determine the most comfortable listening level and speech discrimination.
• Each audiometric test conducted by a registrant or apprentice in the fitting or selling of hearing aids must be conducted on equipment that has been calibrated on at least an annual basis.
• It is the responsibility of a registrant to maintain records proving that all test equipment is properly calibrated on at least an annual basis.
• Upon request, a registrant shall furnish to Division or Board copies of documentation certifying proper calibration of test equipment used.

Trial Period

30 days from date of delivery.

Mail Order

No hearing instrument shall be delivered to a consumer in Massachusetts through the mail unless the consumer has had a hearing evaluation performed and an ear impression taken by a Massachusetts registrant and the consumer has signed a federally approved medical clearance waiver.

Resources

The information contained herein was collected and summarized annually. For detailed information on hearing aid dispenser requirements, contact the state board and visit this website:

Board of Registration of Hearing Instrument Specialists Statutes & Regulations

Questions regarding this document? Call ASHA at 800-498-2071 and ask for the State Advocacy Team.