You are eligible to apply for a Hearing Services Voucher if you are an Australian citizen (or permanent resident over 21 years old), and you meet any of the following criteria:
You will also be eligible to receive other hearing services if you are a permanent Australian citizen or resident that is:
Eligibility for the Australian Government Hearing Services Program entitles you to a broad range of services free of charge, including:
To keep your device working at its optimum level, you can also get maintenance services and a regular supply of batteries for a small annual maintenance fee.
If you are eligible to apply for a Hearing Services Voucher, you may either:
If you are applying to the program for the first time, you must complete client details labelled Part A. A Medical Practitioner is required to complete and sign the referral details of Part B of the form.
If you already wear a hearing aid, new aids will only be fitted if your current hearing aids are no longer meeting your clinical needs as assessed by your hearing services practitioner.
Once completed, send your application to the following address:
Mail Drop Point 113
Office of Hearing Services
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
GPO Box 9848
Canberra, ACT 2601
Under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program, if you are found to have a clinical need, you will be provided with a quality hearing aid that will offer a satisfactory rehabilitation outcome. However, the Australian Government Hearing Services Program also allows for ‘top-up’ arrangements where you may choose to be fitted with a hearing aid with additional features beyond those necessary to achieve a satisfactory rehabilitation outcome.
Under the ‘top-up’ arrangements, you pay the difference in cost to your service provider. You can expect a Government contribution towards the cost of your ‘top-up’ hearing aid. All hearing aids, including ‘top-up’ aids, are GST-free. Hearing devices that are not hearing aids will incur a GST charge.
Entering into a ‘top-up’ arrangement is a matter of personal choice. You are not obliged to enter into such an arrangement.
If you have an existing hearing aid, we recommend that you enter into a maintenance agreement with your service provider. For an annual fee, they will maintain your hearing device and supply you with batteries to ensure optimum performance at all times. If you choose not to pay the annual maintenance fee, you will need to buy batteries regularly and pay for servicing and repair of your hearing aid. This can work out to be more expensive in the long run.
The annual maintenance charge for a ‘top-up’ device may be higher and should be negotiated between you and your hearing services practitioner.