Rebates for Hearing Aids

Hearing Aids are a valuable investment both financial and in communication ability. Being small and positioned on active ears they can and do get dislodged on occasion and go missing. Yikes! Yes it’s the bug bear of hearing aid wearers, the fear and anxiety of having such valuable devices getting lost or squashed if they inadvertently fall off. When purchased through a reputable hearing clinic in Australia you will receive at least a 3 year warranty, but this only covers repairs for breakdowns and manufacturer defects. This can be extended to 4 or 5 years but may entail additional costs. As an experienced Audiologist I am routinely asked “Can I insure my hearing aids?” The answer is Yes!

Rest Assured! Unlike most online hearing aid providers and big box stores we include a full year of comprehensive hearing aid insurance with any hearing aids we fit and sell. This is critical for first time users who are still learning to put them on correctly and establish careful management practices. There is a $500 excess per device if they need replacement with brand new ones but at least you are only having to pay a smaller portion of the original purchase price.

– You are only allowed to claim once per hearing aid in this 12 month period
– You are required to sign a statutory declaration and have it witnessed.
– You need to provide proof of purchase. It should be easy to obtain another copy of your invoice/receipt from the providing clinic.
– Be an Australian resident.
– You cannot claim hearing aids that are on trial. (i.e. you have not purchased them yet)

Although you receive a year of cover with us, it is also a good idea to insure them with your private health fund. However you must make a point of having them listed as a portable item and have them email or mail you written confirmation that they are listed and to what value they are covered for.

During any appointment we can discuss the best options of hearing aid insurance so you can wear your hearing aids with confidence in all those environments where they’ll benefit you most.

Hearing Aids placed under basic house and contents are only protected against damage or loss due to fire, flood, theft and below a certain value. You will need to upgrade your level of contents insurance to actually cover accidental loss or damage. In doing so ensure your receive written confirmation that your hearing aids are listed as insured Items. Standard

To insure against loss occurring outside the home you will need to specify the hearing aids are portable content. There will be an excess up to $300. Some insurers allow this portability for continuous number of days and cover you even when you are outside Australia. Therefore you don’t have to double up and have them covered under your travel insurance.

In my 15 + years working as an Audiologist I have seen people lose and damage their hearing aids beyond repair (DBR) in numerous and novel ways including:

– Thrown out in the trash whilst wrapped in tissues when taken off.
– Eaten by pet dogs and the odd cat playing with it like a mouse. Apparently dogs like the taste of ear wax.
– Accidentally flushed down toilets.
-Lost in the garden, even mowed over.
– Lately when removing face masks being flicked off by the elastics.
– hearing aids left in pockets of clothing put through the washing machine.

To ensure your hearing aids are insured along with other valuable home contents you will need to allocate them as specified contents. This will enable you to list them for a nominated amount.

You also have to include them under portable contents, which can also be called personal valuables cover. By dong this you ensure you are covered for loss, damage or theft outside the home. Always check the fine print as every insurance company is different.

You also need to make sure they are covered for accidental loss or damage as this is usually an extra add on and can be limited to Premium policies. Finally it is also possible to have them covered new for old replacement of original purchase value. For example if your hearing aids were over 3 years old when lost they could be replaced with new generation devices of equivalent value which can further improve your hearing ability.

To summarise here are the main actions to ensuring your hearing aids are insured:

1. Allocate them as specified contents (itemised with specified dollar amount)
2. Ensure listed as portable Items.
3. Ensure covered for accidental loss or damage.
4. Cover new for old of equivalent to original purchase value.