WASHINGTON, DC, September 15, 2015 — The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) has expressed concern about the recently-announced joint venture between the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) and hearing aid manufacturer IntriCon Corporation. The program, earVenture LLC, would sell hearing aids to Audiologists with special pricing for ADA members, virtually all of whom are existing customers of the members of HIA, including IntriCon. HIA members produce the vast majority of hearing aids sold in the US on an annual basis.
HIA believes that earVenture may not align with ADA's stated mission of advancing "professional autonomy and sound business practices," as profit motives inherent in product sales call into question potential conflicts of interest. Further, HIA thinks the decision by ADA to become a commercial actor in the marketplace negatively impacts that organization's objectivity and neutrality. Additionally, HIA questions the need for an exclusive relationship with only one member manufacturer of HIA to sell products that are already commercially available from virtually every hearing aid manufacturer at similar price points.
HIA President Carole Rogin observed that "HIA and its members have been staunch supporters of ADA since its inception and were, indeed, instrumental in supporting its creation as well as its meetings and programs continuously over the years. While each HIA member will be assessing the impact of this venture on its company and valued customers, HIA will be undertaking a comprehensive review of its longstanding partnership with ADA in furthering the private practice of audiology with respect to a potential conflict of interest posed by this initiative."
