Actually, the cost will likely include shipping and handling, as the manufacturers can sell direct to consumers. As I count it, that's at least 2 layers of middlemen that can be removed.
That sounds to me like manufacturers can now capture the profit that two layers of middle men once captured. Call it 1.5 to keep the price lower than going through the doctor
Sure, but hopefully it'll make the barrier of entry easier. I've been noticing that the market does seem to work well when the barrier to entry is low. It seems feasible that simple hearing aids shouldnt be much more expensive than cheap earbuds after a few years.
They could, but each middleman adds a minimum amount of additional cost. Cost which is now easy margin for new entrants to compete with, for very little extra work or profit loss.
