Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is among a group of senators that is trying to make some types of hearing aids more easily accessible and more affordable. Collins, a Republican, is sponsoring the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 along with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley. The senators say only about 14% of people with hearing loss use assistive hearing technology such as hearing aids, and one of the biggest obstacles is price.