Audiology Australia is calling for Federal Government policy changes to improve access to hearing care services for more Australians.
AudA on 19 March 2025 joined a call for political parties and independent politicians to make ‘common-sense changes’ to their policies in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election that will improve access to allied health and hearing care services.
The nation’s peak audiology body is also supporting a recommendation from the Hearing Health Sector Alliance (HHSA) to expand the Hearing Services Program (HSP) to low-income and unemployed Australians.
It is urging audiologists, hearing care professionals, clients and the public to show their support and get behind the campaign by emailing their local MP.
AudA said it supported the Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) election campaign for five priorities aiming to further embed allied health services in care systems and rural locations and increase cooperation between allied health and other health professionals.
It also joined ear and hearing care leaders in the HHSA to lobby for four additional priorities specific to hearing health.
“Greater action is urgently needed to help the one in six Australians affected by hearing loss and address the financial impacts of hearing loss, estimated to cost Australia $20 billion annually,” said Ms Leanne Emerson, AudA’s CEO.
“We urge candidates to act on the recommendations put forward by Allied Health Professions Australia and the Hearing Health Sector Alliance.
“These are common-sense recommendations. Acting on them will ensure Australians can be more easily supported by an allied health professional, resulting in earlier intervention, easier treatment processes, and a reduced financial burden on taxpayers.”
One recommendation put forward by AHPA is to further integrate allied health services such as audiology within the primary care system, helping to improve Australians’ access to multidisciplinary care.
Audiologists play a vital role in primary care, providing essential services for hearing health that directly support better health outcomes. But Emerson said barriers such as limited Medicare funding, workforce shortages, and inadequate recognition of audiologists’ scope of practice continued to restrict access to these services.
“Addressing these challenges through targeted government investment in funding models, direct referral pathways from audiologists to ENTs, ensuring audiologists achieve greater recognition through protection of title, and expanding workforce programs will improve equitable access to hearing care, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations,” she said.
Expand HSP to low-income people
The HSP was an important measure already servicing pension concession card holders, veterans and referrals from the Disability Employment Service, Emerson said.
The recommendation put forward by the HHSA to expand the HSP to low-income and unemployed Australians would help make hearing services and devices more affordable for even more Australians, she said.
“The voucher program is essential to helping more Australians manage their hearing loss and other conditions,” Emerson said.
“Including low-income and unemployed Australians in the eligibility criteria it is expected to yield $311 million in productivity gains, generating a net fiscal benefit of over $268 million.”
AudA contributed to both sets of recommendations as a member of AHPA and a driving force behind HHSA.
“We are committed to working collegially with government to open up the world of ear, hearing and allied care for the wellbeing of more Australians,” Emerson said.
People can read more about this on AudA’s campaign page. It has also drafted a template to make it easier for people to write to their local MP.
