For healthcare providers: The veterans guide to better hearing - video transcript

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Narrator: Hearing loss and tinnitus are two of the most common conditions experienced by former Australian Defence Force members due to their exposure to loud noise during military training and service.

That’s why the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or DVA, is committed to providing a range of hearing related devices and services to eligible Gold and White Veteran card holders with an assessed clinical need at no cost to them. 

These include:

  • tests to determine if the hearing loss and tinnitus is service-related
  • hearing devices through the Hearing Services Program
  • Assistive Listening Devices available through DVA’s Rehabilitation Appliances Program
  • the ongoing support, repairs and maintenance of these devices, and
  • audiologist or ENT specialist treatments, such as managing the effects of tinnitus and more.

What’s covered

To ensure there is no cost to eligible Gold or White Veteran card holders, they must have accepted conditions of hearing loss or tinnitus.

Any devices or treatments beyond those not fully subsidised by the Hearing Services Program or DVA’s Rehabilitation Appliances Program must first receive funding approval from DVA prior to providing them, as DVA does not reimburse Veteran card holders after they have purchased hearing devices.

To seek funding approval for these or if you feel suitable hearing aids are not available through the Hearing Services Program because of your patient’s individual circumstances, send supporting documentation to health.approval [at] dva.gov.au (health[dot]approval[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)  

To explore the range of devices and services covered under DVA’s Rehabilitation Appliances Program, visit www.dva.gov.au/RAPproviders

If you require further information on how DVA supports veterans with service related hearing loss or tinnitus and to order free patient resources for your clinic, such as DVA’s ‘The veteran’s guide to better hearing’, contact DVA provider enquiries on 1800 550 457 or visit www.dva.gov.au/hearingproviders

This video has been funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and is proudly brought to you by OPAN, the Older Persons Advocacy Network.

[End of transcript]

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