Financial Assistance for Hearing Aids

Who is eligible?

You are eligible if you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, 25 years of age and over, meeting one of the following criteria:

• Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
• Gold Health Repatriation Card
• White Health Repatriation Card (specifying hearing loss)
• Centrelink Sickness Allowance

You may also be eligible if you are:

• Dependent of a person in one of the above categories
• Active member of the Defence Force
• Client of CRS Australia

Benefits provided to clients under the scheme

Most services and hearing aids under the program are free. There may also be situations where you will be asked to pay additional costs:

• “Top-up” devices: Client contributes to the cost in order to obtain more advanced hearing aids-
• Hearing aid maintenance program: You can choose to pay a maintenance fee to each year. This will cover service, repairs and batteries for your hearing device.

The following services are also covered under the program.

• Yearly check-up: Free Yearly monitoring of hearing and checking the hearing aids for adequate functioning.
• Aural Rehabilitation: Subsidized appointments in order to help the hearing aid user to achieve better hearing aid outcomes by offering auditory training, communication strategies training and counselling for family members.
• Full Hearing Assessment: Complete diagnostic hearing assessment every 3 years.
• Assistive Listening Devices: TV listening devices for people who have unaidable hearing loss and struggle to hear the TV dialogues clearly.
• Home Visit: Provision of home visit is available within Melbourne for those who are unable to travel to our clinic due to a genuine reason.
• Other: Consultation, assessment and management of Tinnitus, hyperacusis and vertigo.

To access the program you will need a referral letter from your GP or alternatively go to download the Office of hearing services medical certificate form, which will need to be completed by your GP. Contact All Ears Hearing at 03 9886 7157 or at minig@allearshearing.com.au once your referral or medical certificate is ready. We will guide you from thereon to get the hearing services voucher from the Office of Hearing Services.

Private Health Insurance

Individuals who purchase hearing aids may be eligible to receive a rebate through their Private Health Fund which will vary across policies.

Check with your insurance provider to find out if you qualify for a hearing aid benefit.

Ask these questions when you call your insurance company about hearing aids:

1. What is the rebate amount for hearing aids?
2. How often you can claim this rebate?
3. Can you claim for hearing tests, repairs through your cover?

Income Tax Rebates

Hearing aids are classified as medical expenses, so you may be able to claim a medical expense tax offset for hearings aids and other health expenses. The Australian government has exempted hearing aids from GST and provide a tax rebate of 10% on annual medical expenses in excess of $5000 (Means tested). Be sure to consult your accountant for more details. 

Job Access Scheme

The Job Access Scheme is an Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) which helps people with disability (hearing impairment) by providing financial assistance to purchase a range of work related communication technology devices, including assistive listening devices (excluding cochlear implants and hearing aids required for general use), paging systems and telephone and computer hardware.

Assistance is available for people who are about to start a job or who are currently working, as well as those who require assistance to find and prepare for work.

The ability to hear clearly in some workplaces is critical to a person’s success, productivity and safety.

For a person who has a hearing difficulty, hearing aids may assist them to communicate more effectively in their workplace. It may be appropriate to apply for funding for these through the Employment Assistance Fund – otherwise known as the Job Access scheme.

If you need help to apply for hearing aids thorugh Job Access scheme please please call us on 03 98867157 or email at minig@allearshearing.com.au. Alternatively, visit the Job Access Website https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/ .