Eligibility

Who is eligible for Australian Hearing services?

Children and young adults

Children and young adults up to the age of 26 who are Australian citizens or permanent residents are eligible for government-funded hearing services from Australian Hearing. They do not need to complete an application form.

Australian Hearing focuses on children with permanent or long-term hearing loss. Where there is no suggestion that a child is at risk of a permanent hearing loss or may not need hearing devices, we will usually recommend the family contact another agency for testing and management.

Adults

Adults eligible to receive Australian Hearing services must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident 21 years of age or older (from 1 January 2012, 26 years or older), and fit one of the following categories:

• Pensioner Concession Card holders
• Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Repatriation Health Card holders
• Department of Veterans' Affairs White Repatriation Health Card holders specifying hearing loss
• recipients of a sickness allowance from Centrelink.

The following people are also eligible:

• dependants of a person in one of the above categories
• members of the Australian Defence Forces
• Referred clients of an Australian Government funded vocational rehabilitation service.

Eligible adults in the above categories need to apply for a voucher.

Australian Hearing can also see the following (a voucher is not required for these groups):

• all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged over 50
• all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples participating in a Community Development Employment Project (CDEP)
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who were former participants of a Community Development Employment Project between 1 December 2005 and 30 June 2008

To find out how to obtain a service, or for more information call 131 797. Alternatively, your local health service can help with making an appointment.