Question 1

Are You Contracted To Provide Government Hearing Services To Pensioners?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After more than eight years of focusing on developing systems and processes to deliver consistently high levels of service as well as superior long term outcomes to our self-funded clients, we established late in 2017, that we are now ready to expand out unique service offering to eligible pensioners and veterans. We received our Government Accreditation to provide free and subsidised services under the Office of Hearing Services Voucher Scheme early in December 2017. Now eligible clients can enjoy our level of expertise and value for money, while also benefiting from the generous government subsidy available to them. Roll out of these services to all our clinics should be complete by March 2018. Call us today on 1300 586 104 to see if we are providing government services in your area now.

Question 2

Do You Offer A Maintenance And Battery Plan Similar To The Government System For Eligible Pensioners/Veterans?

Accepted Answer

Eligible pensioners and veterans can enjoy the standard inclusions available using the Office of Hearing Services' battery and maintenance program with us. This includes visits, batteries, repairs and consumables for as long as you stay signed up. Our Self-Funded clients may sign up to one of our affordable aftercare packages, which covers visits and batteries at much reduced rates. All clients also benefit from our existing client upgrade discounts These are designed to reward you for your loyalty.

Question 3

Do You Have Hearing Aid Payment Plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes we offer up to 12 months interest free with $0 deposits via Zip.co. Visit our finance page for more details: https://www.valuehearing.com.au/payment-plans.

Question 4

Do You Offer A Trial Period Or Money Back Guarantee?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We offer all our hearing aid clients a 60 day 100% money back guarantee with their purchase. 60 days is a very important number as it is about the time for the brain to fully adapt to the sound of new hearing aids and also allows some time to get past the initial honeymoon period, during which you might think the hearing aids cannot be faulted. By doing this we ensure that you are truly happy with your purchase, but if you aren't then you could try another model or if they prefer, get their money back. This means you do pay for the hearing aids when you receive them, but you have up to 60 days to change your mind. During these 60 days you can swap to a different hearing aid brand or model, without penalty. In the event of an exchange, you only have to pay or get refunded the difference between the two models plus you get another 60 days money back guarantee with the new model. We allow one such exchange. If you feel you are not getting the benefit that you anticipated or for whatever other reason, you may return the hearing aids in working condition within the 60 days and get a Full refund. This is a no fuss process as we would rather give you your money back, than have a disgruntled customer.

Question 5

Which Payment Methods Do You Accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept Cash, MasterCard, Visa, Amex, Eftpos and direct debit (needs to be cleared before hearing aids can be delivered). We also offer up to 12 month interest free payment plans.

Question 6

Can Hearing Aids Cause Further Hearing Loss As It Makes Things Louder?

Accepted Answer

No, not if properly fitted by a qualified hearing professional with you in the room. However, all bets are off for internet bought or self programmable hearing aids. To understand how this is possible, you need to understand a bit more about how hearing aids work. Hearing aids do not indiscriminately make everything louder. They add gain (volume) only to the areas where you have hearing loss if fitted properly. They work a bit like graphic equalisers, and can be adjusted to give you more at some points on your hearing and less at others. Not only do they give more volume at different pitch/frequency/register ranges, but they also amplify different loudness of sounds differently using compression. A quality digital hearing aid can be set to boost soft sounds differently from speech level sounds and again differently from loud sounds. We want to make soft sounds loud enough so you can hear soft speech clearly, but not so loud that you hear even the faintest noise or even the sound of air molecules hitting the microphones (sounds like a hiss), which could be quite distracting. Moderate speech level sounds should be moderately loud and clear without being too loud or distant. Loud sounds should be loud, but not uncomfortable and certainly at levels which could further permanently damage your hearing.The flip side of the coin is that you don't want the loud sounds too soft as this could mean that someone speaking close to you, where the sound reaches the ear louder, could end up being too soft, while people speaking far away could drown out the closer speaker! Another level of protection in quality hearing aids is the Maximum Power Output MPO), which is the absolute maximum allowable level the hearing aid allows into the ear and anything louder than this is simply "chopped off". This is the last level of protection. Again if this level is set too low it could cause distortion of louder speech, if it is set too loud it can cause further hearing loss. So you could say there is a "Goldilocks zone" where hearing aids work just right and outside this they either don't provide optimal benefit or could actually cause harm. At Value Hearing & Tinnitus Solutions we use professionally qualified audiologists, who are trained in the latest hearing aids and fitting techniques to fit our quality hearing aids using real ear measurements that show them what is actually going on at your eardrum relative to your hearing loss. This leads to better sounding, safer hearing aids which provide more benefit to you. That is also why it is important to get hearing aids professionally fitted in a face to face manner and to steer away from poor quality hearing aids.

Question 7

What Support Do I Get When My Hearing Aid(s) Break Down?

Accepted Answer

We train all our clients during the fitting and follow-up period how to maintain and troubleshoot their hearing aids. This means that you should be able to identify and correct most minor issues by the time your 60 day money back period has expired. We also tend to recall all our hearing aid clients for a hearing aid check every six months to catch and correct any problems before they become larger issues. We are always just a phone call or email away and we are always happy to help any of our clients no matter how trivial the hearing aid issue might seem. We are able to perform minor hearing aid repairs in the office and can troubleshoot and detect any major issues. In the rare event that a major fault has been identified while the hearing aid is under warranty, we will send the hearing aid, at our expense, to the hearing aid manufacturer to be repaired. Repairs out of warranty carry a repair fee. We endeavour to have available for use a loan hearing aid while yours is away for repair. Most hearing aid repairs take under two weeks to return to us from the date they were sent. We also offer over the counter checks and minor repairs free of charge to our clients for the life of the instrument. Appointments with the clinics may be chargeable depending of the level of aftercare you have chosen.

Question 8

Do I Need To Insure My Hearing Aids?

Accepted Answer

Hearing aid insurance is highly recommended as they are small and valuable items and an important investment in your quality of life. You will be wearing your hearing aids often and don't want the fear of losing them or accidentally damaging them lingering in your thoughts all the time. Insurance gives you the freedom to use the hearing aids when and where you choose with absolute peace of mind. You can obtain insurance for your hearing aids through your home and contents insurer. You need to make sure that if you use your own regular insurer that you specify the hearing aids for use in and outside the home and that the insurance is comprehensive for all eventualities. As always, it pays to shop around to get the best deal. Make sure however that your insurance will replace any devices with an Australian sourced model.

Question 9

Do You Offer Unbundled Hearing Aid Pricing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, our model allows for unbundled pricing if you choose to pay for visits such as fitting and follow-ups per visit. We also include a Basic fit (60 days unlimited follow-ups), 1 Year unlimited visits and a 3 year unlimited package as optional paid for bundles with our hearing aids.

Question 10

How Do I Know Which Level Of Hearing Aid Technology Is Most Suitable For Me?

Accepted Answer

There is actually no quality difference between different hearing aid models in the same range/brand. We have an article going into depth on this topic here. The best way to determine which model and range would work best for you is to undergo a full assessment. We also have articles detailing various parts of this question here: Which is my best Hearing aid? Finding a hearing aid that will work in quiet and in noise What to expect from a comprehensive assessment Will a hearing aid work for me?

Question 11

How Long Does It Take To Get My New Hearing Aids?

Accepted Answer

Unlike many hearing aid providers, we keep large stocks of instant fit hearing aids that allow us to fit a large number of hearing losses instantly. So if you choose, you have a 80% chance of walking out of the office with hearing aids after your first appointment. 20% of hearing losses are too great to be fitted with these kinds of hearing aids or your ear canals might not be suitable for instant fit hearing aids. In these cases it usually takes 1 to 2 weeks to get a custom hearing aid made up for you. Please advise our admin staff if you wish to be fitted on the spot and they will try to accommodate you where possible.

Question 12

Do You Keep Your Prices Low By Using Lower Quality Imported Hearing Aids?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not! We source our hearing aids from the same Australian hearing aid wholesalers used by our higher priced competition. That means you get exactly the same hearing aids at the same quality with the same warranty and the same national support network that you would get by buying elsewhere at a higher price. Our highly efficient and accurate hearing aid selection process means we don't waste cost and time trying to search through various trial and error attempts to find your right hearing aid. We also extensively use technology and automation to take care of many of the administrative tasks that add costs and distractions elsewhere. This allows our staff to focus on you and your satisfaction rather than the process. We keep our markups low and also pass on our manufacturer's discount to keep the hearing aid pricing to you fair. All this combines to deliver some of the best outcomes in the industry. You can read more about the outcomes we deliver here.

Question 13

Do I Need A Referral To See You?

Accepted Answer

No, a doctor's referral is not required to obtain a hearing test or hearing aids from us. Our hearing testing is thorough and we are always on the lookout for any medical issues which might need referral to a doctor as some conditions are better treated medically than through hearing aids. If you have been referred to us by one of our existing clients, we do offer some additional discounts to you., We do need the name and surname of the person who has referred you.

Question 14

Can Hearing Aids Be Claimed Through Private Health Insurance?

Accepted Answer

Most private health insurers do have some allowance for hearing aids through their Extras or ancillary cover. It is however up to you as the member to find out how much you are covered for and claim that amount back after purchasing hearing aids. We are registered with the major private health insurance companies. You can see our table of health insurance rebates here.

Question 15

Can Hearing Aids Be Claimed Through Tax?

Accepted Answer

When it comes to taxation matters it is always wise to speak to the ATO directly or to your accountant. Hearing aids do qualify as medical devices and currently if your out of pocket medical expenses for a year exceed $2000 you can obtain a 20% tax rebate on the amount exceeding the $2000 threshold. You can find more information about the ATO's Net medical expenses tax offset at www.ato.gov.au UPDATE: With the 2013 Labour Budget the medical expenses offset for hearing aids has been abolished except in a few select cases. As such it is best to discuss this with your accountant.

Question 16

Will Over-The-Ear Hearing Aids Interfere With My Glasses?

Accepted Answer

Modern over the ear hearing aids are designed to be worn with glasses and as such the hearing aid unit sitting behind the ear tends to be quite small and tapered in the area that might be shared by glasses. So in most cases this is a completely non-issue. Only in extreme cases where the ear is completely flat against the head, could the hearing aid interfere with glasses, but these cases are very rare.

Frequently Asked Questions