QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Health
Hearing Loss
March 25, 2026
Minister, Apple AirPods Pro 2 have been approved as a clinical-grade hearing aid and have received a Class II medical equipment licence from Health Canada. However, as hearing aids require a prescription in most parts of the country, the effect is that the function is disabled in Canada. This type of hearing aid is an affordable option for those suffering from mild to medium hearing loss.
Minister, at a time when your government and all of us here are focused on affordability, will you commit to providing federal leadership and discuss with your provincial counterparts at the next ministerial meeting the national use of this common and cost-effective technology?
Thank you for the question, senator.
Yes, I can say that I will be talking to my provincial counterparts about it tomorrow. I have a meeting tomorrow and the topic of this technology will be part of the discussion. I will raise the point you shared with me.
In the case you are referring to, the one involving Apple, Health Canada already approved the device in December 2024. However, as you know, when it comes to the provinces, there is a certain lack of alignment that is preventing us from moving forward. So I do understand why you’re asking me to speak with the provinces. I will bring this up with them. I think we will have good news, because everyone understands that we need to move much faster and that we need to work together on an issue like this.
Thank you, minister. As part of your discussions and if you, despite your optimism, run into any walls, would you look at the idea of a new medical device licence class, similar to how they broke the logjam in the United States, to make them over-the-counter hearing aids?
Thank you for the question. I’m not there yet, but you’re right about me being optimistic. As the federal health minister, I have to be optimistic, because it’s my responsibility to get everyone working together, especially now, so that we can make better decisions for the public. I believe that we need to focus more on the mechanics than on the idea.
