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Hearing aids

Colourful older woman with small hearing aid

Hearing loss may be affecting your quality of life. SuperGold Card subsidies are available to help you get the hearing aid that's right for you.

Hearing aids today are complex electronic devices that are able to help people with hearing loss in many situations. An audiologist can test your hearing to see whether hearing aids might be able to assist you. Hearing aids can have many different sizes, shapes and features. The audiologist can advise which ones, if any, may be best to meet your hearing needs and your budget.

Some hearing aids which have high technology can cost more than $3,000 per aid. This table provides a general outline of the retail costs and features that are likely to meet the needs of most people.

Price range  Suitability Price per aid Government funding available Other costs
Basic Good for people who are usually in simple listening conditions (e.g. when talking with one other person, or small groups of people in places without loud background noise) From $500 to $1,000 (GST incl.) per aid Ministry of Health subsidy of $500 (GST incl.) per aid

You will probably* have to pay for:

Audiologist’s Assessment

Audiologist’s Fitting Fee

Cost of repairs 

Cost of batteries
Mid-range Better in background noise, more features to help in specific situations (e.g. when needing to talk to groups of people in a noisy situation) From $1,000 to $2,000 (GST incl.) per aid
High technology  Additional features for people with specific needs. (e.g. using with a cell phone) Up to $3,000 (GST incl.) per aid

* Some people in certain situations may be able to get a different level of government funded support from the Ministry of Health. The audiologist will be able to tell you more about this.

> Source: Ministry of Health, October 2008

Questions to ask your audiologist:

  • Would you recommend one or two hearing aids for me?
  • If I can’t afford two hearing aids now, would one aid be better than not having any at all?
  • What are the pros and cons of the different types of hearing aids?
  • Am I able to get any Government funding to help cover the costs? How much is the hearing aid after this funding has been deducted?
  • What other costs will I have to pay that will not be covered by government funding?
  • Can you recommend a cheaper type of aid for me that would still help?

Other Funding Support

You may be able to access an audiology service thorugh your local hospital. Ask your GP about this or contact your nearest Age Concern for more information.

If you have difficulty paying for the hearing aids Work and Income may be able to help. You may be able to apply for assistance of up to $1,000 to help pay for them as long as ACC or a private insurer have not contributed to the cost. This is through an advance payment of New Zealand Superannuation or any other benefit through your local Work and Income service centre.

The advance is repaid by a deduction from your weekly pension or benefit. The rate of repayment is worked out with you by your Work and Income case manager.

Payment rates are generally between $5 - $20 per week until the advance is repaid.

ACC and Veterans Affairs New Zealand also provide funding for hearing aids for people who are eligible to receive their services.

Comment

Faced with a recommendation to purchase hearing aids, an older person will often settle for the cheapest, rather than the one that provides the best hearing. More needs to be done to make hearing aids affordable. Basic aids do little more than amplify sound and do not function well in group interactions and meetings. A good hearing aid can enable an older person to continue to be active in the community.

Conversely, a poor hearing aid or none at all can result in social isolation with negative effects on mental and physical health.

We are asking for hearing aids to be fully-funded for people over 65. This could be done by negotiating a favourable price with a hearing aid manufacturer to enable government to fully subsidise one brand each of basic, mid-range and advanced hearing aids, thus giving older people access to the kind of aid that best suits their needs. [from Age Concern's briefing to the Minister of Health]

Resources

> VISIT the Hearing Association New Zealand

> VISIT the Life Unlimited Trust (a NASC and hearing therapist)

> VISIT the New Zealand Audiological Society

> DOWNLOAD the Ministry of Health information pamphlet [pdf file] 

Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Health

05 Feb 2010
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