Pensioners & Veterans

What are maintenance fees?

When we talk about maintenance in the context of Government funded hearing aids, we are referring to an annual fee which covers the hearing aid user for batteries and repairs. This is made up from a contribution from the individual and also the Government: this year the individual’s fee is $37.80. (The Department of Veteran's Affairs will pay the individuals maintenance fee for eligible DVA clients) ...

Essentially the hearing aid provider is contracted by the Government, (in the form of the Office of Hearing Services), to look after the hearing aids of those clients who have paid maintenance fees (or are DVA exempt.)

At Sunraysia Hearing Clinic we provide the following services for your maintenance fee:

• Free batteries
• Free repairs
• Free hearing aid checks
• New ear moulds when appropriate, FOC
• Free ear check and removal of wax if indicated
  

Your annual maintenance fee is due on the anniversary of the aids initial fitting. At that point we take the opportunity of sending a letter inviting you, the client, to make an appointment for an annual review. At that appointment we do the following:

• Check the ears fo wax
• Carry out a hearing test to ensure it has not deteriorated
• Reprogram the aid(s) if appropriate
• Inspect the hearing aid(s) and change the tubing/mould in the case of BTE’s

"Another major commitment which we make is to try to ensure that we supply a loan aid when your ‘Behind the Ear” hearing aid is broken. This is very significant to our clients, particularly those with a major hearing loss. Indeed, we believe it is a major point of difference", says Jane MacDonald, audiologist.