Age and Disability Pensioners who have cochlear implants and are eligible for the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program are denied the appropriate, reliable technology through the Government which they depend on for social inclusion, productivity, independence and quality of life.
These ‘eligible persons’ under the Hearing Services Administration Act 1997, are not provided with replacement cochlear speech processors. However, people who use hearing aids as their means of amplification are (quite correctly) provided with replacements and upgrades to their hearing aids as required.
This inconsistency impacts the most significantly impaired and financially vulnerable cochlear implant users. It can be readily addressed at little cost to Government.
The Government does provide replacement and upgraded cochlear speech processors for people under the age of 26.
Our understanding is the planned transfer of parts of the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program to the NDIS will resolve the matter for people who are eligible to use the scheme. This may take several years to be put in place.