Articles

Free and Subsidized Hearing Support Services for Pensioners and Veterans in Perth

by Amit Sahni Audiologist

Are you an Australian veteran looking for affordable hearing assessment or treatment? You will be very glad to know that the Office of Hearing Services Scheme offers free or subsidized veteran hearing aids as well as other hearing support services for eligible pensioners and veterans in need of them.

Entitlements under Scheme

Under the Department of Health - Office of Hearing Services Scheme, eligible pensioners and veterans are provided with many benefits including a free, comprehensive hearing assessment every three years. If you are found to have hearing loss, you are entitled to free veteran hearing aids and other forms of hearing support. For a small annual maintenance fee, you can avail free batteries and hearing aids repair services. All these services are offered through accredited hearing clinics.

Check for Eligibility

Generally speaking, Australian citizens and permanent residents above twenty six years of age who are either defense forces veterans or pensioners are eligible for this scheme. You can review the complete list of eligibility criteria on the Department of Health – Office of Hearing Services website. A simple way to get started is to contact a government accredited hearing clinic. The staff there will be able to verify your eligibility and help you register for the scheme.

Types of Hearing Aids

Professionals at the hearing clinic will help in finding the right hearing aids for your needs. Veteran hearing aids cover a vast range, from the latest digital to the very discreet. In many cases, the hearing aids will be provided free of cost – the government will bear the entire cost. However, in case you want hearing aids with additional features, you may have to pay for a part of the cost while the government subsidizes the rest. This is called ‘Top-Up Aid’ and the decision to avail it is entirely yours. Most people take into consideration factors such as their requirements, lifestyle and financial resources before making the decision to upgrade.

Change Every Five Years

Under the Office of Hearing Services Scheme, you are entitled to new hearing aids every five years if you are already fitted with hearing aids. Most hearing clinics recommend availing this offer since technology is constantly evolving and the latest hearing devices can deliver an enormous number of benefits not available with previous models.

If you would like more information on veteran hearing aids and other free hearing services, get in touch with your nearest accredited hearing clinic!


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About Amit Sahni Freshman   Audiologist

9 connections, 0 recommendations, 35 honor points.
Joined APSense since, July 19th, 2016, From Morley, Australia.

Created on Jan 3rd 2019 03:54. Viewed 468 times.

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