Funding Options.
There are a number of funding options available to cover the costs of services and hearing aids depending on your individual circumstances. You will find more specific information below according to your situation.
How can we help?
Pensioners are eligible for fully funded hearing services and hearing aids through the Department of Health’s Hearing Services Program. This includes a free audiological hearing assessment every five years, annual hearing reviews, subsidised or free hearing aids / Assistive Listening Devices and ongoing hearing aid maintenance and support.
Only qualified contracted hearing providers are able to see pensioners. Hear In Karingal are authorised and registered provides.
To find out if you’re eligible, check the government website here or contact us and we can assist (please have your Pensioner Concession Card number ready).
There are a number of groups who are eligible for funded hearing services under the HSP:
• A Pensioner Concession Card holder
• A Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card holder
• A Department of Veterans’ Affairs White Card holder (hearing specific conditions)
• A dependent of a person in one of the above categories
• A member of the Australian Defence Force
• Referred by the Disability Employment Services (Disability Management Services) Program
• Receiving a sick allowance from Centrelink
• An NDIS participant with hearing needs, referred by a planner from the NDIS.
The CSO (Community Service Obligation) specialises is hearing services delivered exclusively by Hearing Australia. To be eligible you must be:
• A person from one of the above eligibility groups who has complex hearing or communication needs or lives in a remote area
• Children and young adults under 26 years of age
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person
You may be eligible for workers compensation and medical-like expenses (such as hearing aids) if you worked in a noisy environment.
If a hearing loss occurred on or after 12th of November 1997, a claim is lodged with the last employer (or WorkCover insurance agent if that employer is no longer operating).
You are entitled to hearing services and hearing aids if you have already made a successful WorkCover hearing loss claim.
Holders of the following DVA cards are eligible for fully funded hearing services and hearing aids:
• DVA Gold Card
• DVA White Card issued for conditions that include hearing loss
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card
• A spouse or dependent of a person in one of the above
DVA card holders with hearing loss are eligible for additional funding of Assistive Listening Devices. These can include, but are not limited to:
• TV headsets
• Microphone / FM listening systems
• Inductions loops
• Doorbells with signal lights
• Smoke alarm packages
• Wireless streaming devices to transmit sound from multiple devices to a hearing aid
• Some telephone accessories supplied through your telecommunications provider
• Tinnitus devices
DVA also has a tinnitus program which funds equipment and treatment to eligible card holders to help with relieving tinnitus (ringing in the ear). The following card holders are eligible:
• Veteran Gold Card
• Veteran White Card with tinnitus as an accepted condition
The DVA have produced a booklet titled The Veterans’ Guide to Better Hearing, available from the DVA website for more information.
To find out if you’re eligible, check the government website here or contact us and we can assist (please have your DVA card number ready).
If you suffer from hearing loss as a result of a car, motorcycle, bus, train or tram accident in Victoria, then you may be eligible for fully funded hearing services and hearing aids through a TAC claim.
If you believe you are eligible, you will need your doctor to refer you to an Audiologist. When making an appointment, please make sure you have your TAC claim number.
You will need to contact TAC for approval if your accident was more than 90 days ago, or if it’s been more than six months since you’ve had any treatment paid by TAC. TAC will either pay Hear In Karingal directly, or they will reimburse you.
ComCare is a form of Workers’ Compensation similar to WorkCover Victoria. The difference is that a hearing loss injury has occurred whilst employed for either:
• Australian Government agency
• Statutory authority, or
• An organisation that has been granted a license to self-insure
Hearing aids and hearing services are fully funded for eligible ComCare claimants. For a list of previous and current self-insured organisations, click here.
The NDIS funds hearing services and hearing aids for participants aged 26 and over who are not eligible for the Hearing Services Program (HSP), see above. The NDIS also funds additional reasonable and necessary hearing support if they are not available through the HSP (including people under 26 years of age). One of the criteria is that you must have an average hearing loss of 60dB in the better ear to be eligible.
If you don’t currently have a NDIS number, then you will need to have a hearing assessment and fill in an NDIS application for hearing loss. If your application is approved, our Audiologist will submit a hearing aid request to NDIS based on your needs and challenges.
Once approved, our Audiologist will order the devices needed. Please note, it may take several months for applications to be approved.
My Aged Care provides service packages to allow individuals over 65 years of age to continue living in your home if you need assistance.
If you have a hearing loss and are on a My Aged Care plan, you may be eligible for funding for hearing devices and accessories.
If you’re unsure of what My Aged Care is, please speak to your General Practitioner or click here for additional information. https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/
As of 1st of March 2023, GP’s are able to refer for a hearing assessment that can be partly claimed back through Medicare. This means you can claim around $62 for a full comprehensive hearing assessment.
Please note, you will need a GP referral in order to be eligible.
For wax removals, General Practitioner can put you on a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan which entitles you to five allied health appointments per year, subsidised by Medicare. Registered Audiologists can provide this service with a Medicare provider number.
If you have private health insurance with extras, you may be entitled to rebates on hearing services and hearing aids. Not all private health insurers will cover hearing services, so it’s worthwhile asking your fund.
Recently HICAPS became available to Audiologists with a number of different health funds. Most private health provides will reimburse customers the amount they are entitled to claim.
If you are not eligible for any of the above funding options, out of pocket expenses will be at your own cost.
Questions?
Talk to our friendly team.