1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. aids and hiv

The Hearing Services Program and the
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
1. General Information
What is the linkage between the Australian Government Hearing Services
Program and the NDIS?
•
•
•
As part of the introduction of the NDIS in 2013, the Australian Government agreed to
transition existing Commonwealth programmes that provide support to people with disability
to the NDIS. One of these programmes is the Australian Government Hearing Services
Program (the program), which will be transitioned in part to the NDIS by 2019-20.
Moving eligible clients of the program to the NDIS will mean that they have far more choice
and control over the services they need.
Feedback from NDIS participants is critical to ensuring future arrangements for hearing
services continue to deliver on positive client outcomes. NDIS outcome domains include
choice and control, daily activities, relationships, home, health and wellbeing, lifelong
learning, work, and social, community & civic participation. The NDIS website has further
information on how to provide feedback on the NDIS.
What is the program?
•
•
•
•
•
The program currently provides services to a range of people with mild to profound hearing
loss, including children and young adults, some Indigenous Australians and aged and
disability pensioners.
The program is managed by the Office of Hearing Services in the Department of Health.
The program is delivered through Australian Hearing and through other accredited private
sector providers.
The program has two components: Community Service Obligations (CSO), and the Voucher
Scheme.
CSO clients receive services delivered exclusively by Australian Hearing under a
Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Health. The program funds delivery of
hearing services to clients who require specialised hearing services, including:
o children and young adults up to age 26;
o eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and
o voucher eligible adults with complex hearing needs.
The voucher scheme provides Government funding to accredited service providers to
deliver the following services to eligible clients (mainly pensioners and veterans): hearing
assessments; hearing devices; fitting services; and ongoing support.
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au
What is the NDIS?
•
•
•
•
•
The NDIS is a new way for people to get disability support that takes an individualised and
life-long approach through community linkages and individualised plans. This means rather
than providing support based only on the number of services or type of hearing devices
available under the program, the NDIS will provide funding so people can get the
reasonable and necessary support they need, based on their individual hearing needs,
goals and aspirations. These supports may include linkages to existing services and
supports within the participant’s community, and/or reasonable and necessary funded
supports.
The NDIS is not means tested.
To become an NDIS participant a person must be under 65 years of age and have a
permanent disability that substantially reduces their ability to participate effectively in
activities, or perform tasks or actions without some type of support or assistance.
Early intervention requirements apply to children under 7 years of age.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent statutory agency whose
role is to implement the NDIS, which will support a better life for hundreds of thousands of
Australians with a significant and permanent disability and also support their families and
carers.
2. Timeframes
When is the NDIS being rolled-out?
•
•
The NDIS is currently being trialled in seven jurisdictions: New South Wales, Victoria, South
Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital
Territory. Trials will continue through 2015-16.
From 2016-17 the NDIS will start to transition to full-scheme roll-out in six jurisdictions: New
South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The Australian Capital Territory will reach full-scheme at the end of its trial. Transition to the
full-scheme is yet to be agreed in Western Australia.
When will program clients transition to the NDIS?
•
•
•
•
Nationally, program clients who are eligible for the NDIS will transition to the NDIS
by 2019-20.
Eligible program clients in NDIS trial sites are able to apply for the NDIS, noting that some
trial sites are phasing in participants based on their age. Full-scheme roll out will occur from
2016-17 to 2018-19.
Eligible program clients are encouraged to apply for the NDIS, once they are able to access
the NDIS, to ensure that there is no gap in services and so that their experience can inform
transition planning.
The transition of Program clients to the NDIS will need to be considered as part of broader
NDIS transition planning, taking into account legislative changes to reflect the transition of
clients by 2019-20.
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au
3. Accessing the NDIS
How do I become an NDIS participant?
•
•
•
•
The NDIS has been designed to support people with a significant and permanent disability
who need assistance with every day activities.
People can become participants in the NDIS (as the trial sites roll out) if they meet either the
disability or early intervention requirements.
Current clients of the program can test their eligibility for the NDIS with the NDIA if the NDIS
has rolled out in their location and they meet relevant age criteria. Hearing services
providers may be able to assist clients to transition to the NDIS.
People who are not currently clients of the program can independently contact the NDIA to
test their eligibility for the NDIS.
Which program clients will transition to the NDIS?
•
•
Hearing Services clients will transition to the NDIS who
o are aged under 65 years of age;
o have a permanent hearing loss; and
o have a significant loss in functional capacity to communicate and/or socially interact
without support (such as hearing devices) or assistance.
To date, program clients who have become NDIS participants are those who have a
permanent hearing loss and have been fitted or implanted with a hearing device. The NDIA
is developing evidence based guidelines to support consistency in decisions about
accessing the NDIS and reasonable and necessary services for people with hearing loss.
Are there any special considerations for children currently receiving CSO
services?
•
•
•
The majority of younger children currently receiving CSO services from Australian Hearing
are expected to transition to the NDIS.
The NDIS Early intervention guidelines are currently being reviewed. These guidelines will
help to ensure that children with hearing loss can access the NDIS early intervention
services even with mild hearing loss.
The NDIA has established an Early Childhood Intervention (hearing loss) expert reference
group to inform the development of evidence based guidelines for hearing loss, early
intervention and an appropriate hearing services model. It is expected that this group will
report to the NDIA later in 2015.
Will voucher clients who are not eligible for the NDIS because they are 65
years or older still be able to access hearing services?
• • The majority of people who receive a voucher from the program are over 65 years of age
and are therefore unlikely to be eligible for the NDIS. Voucher clients who are not eligible for
the NDIS will continue to receive services through the program in the usual way, now and in
the future.
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au
What will happen to CSO clients who do not qualify for the NDIS?
•
CSO clients who are ineligible for the NDIS will not lose access to funded hearing services.
A review of the current program arrangements will ensure that existing CSO clients continue
to receive services in the future.
Are there any groups of CSO clients that may not qualify for the NDIS?
•
•
CSO clients with complex communication needs who are 65 years and over are not eligible
for the NDIS. Arrangements to ensure that these older CSO clients continue to receive
appropriate services under the program will be considered as part of transition planning.
NDIS participants who turn 65 will have the option to remain NDIS participants.
Children and young adults who have transient hearing loss due to chronic ear infections
may not qualify for the NDIS. However, the importance of monitoring this group of children
to identify deterioration in hearing and middle ear function and prevent permanent hearing
loss is acknowledged. Transition planning will consider how best to continue this activity,
given the respective roles and responsibilities of state/territory health systems, the program
and the NDIS.
What happens if I become an NDIS participant before 2019-20?
•
•
•
•
NDIS participants will continue to have access to the program at their current level of
support for as long as they remain eligible for hearing supports.
If you have been issued a voucher, you can continue to access services through your usual
hearing service provider. Your provider will claim funding from the program in the usual way.
If you are a CSO client, you can continue to access services through Australian Hearing.
As an NDIS participant, you may be able to access other NDIS supports if they are
considered reasonable and necessary, including additional supports offered by registered
NDIS hearing service providers.
What happens if I am a CSO or voucher client less than 65 years of age but
don’t live in a NDIS trial site?
•
•
•
You will continue to receive hearing services through the program for as long as you are
eligible for that program.
If you are unsure whether you live in an NDIS trial site contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
By 2019-20 the NDIS will be a national scheme.
Can CSO clients turning 26 years of age continue to receive services from
Australian Hearing?
•
•
As part of the interim arrangements if you are living in an NDIS trial site, become an NDIS
participant, and have hearing loss supports in your individual plan, your NDIA planner can
refer you to the voucher scheme to receive hearing services.
You can choose whether to continue to receive the services available under the voucher
from Australian Hearing or another contracted service provider.
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au
4. Providing services
What happens if I am a service provider under the program?
•
•
•
Providers under the voucher scheme of the program can lodge claims for payments for
NDIS participants (who are also voucher holders) through the current claiming process.
Providers can also register with the NDIS to provide additional supports to participants in
the trial sites.
In NDIS sites, Australian Hearing will continue to be funded under the program to deliver
support to CSO clients, including to CSO clients who are also NDIS participants.
Outside of NDIS trial sites, current funding and delivery arrangements will continue
unchanged.
5. Transition Planning
What happens to the program during the NDIS trial period and while the
NDIS rolls out nationally?
•
The program will continue to fund services during the NDIS trials and transition to full
national coverage. A transition plan will be developed to support eligible NDIS participants
and applicable funding to transfer to the NDIS by 2019-20. Stakeholders will have an
opportunity to provide input to the transition plan.
Will stakeholders be consulted on the transition plan?
•
•
The transition plan will be developed in consultation with key stakeholder groups, including
hearing loss advocacy and disability groups and professional hearing practitioner bodies, in
2015.
A series of transition planning workshops will be held around Australia from July 2015.
Stakeholders can register interest in participating in a workshop on the Office of Hearing
Services website.
What happens when the NDIS reaches full national roll out?
•
•
•
•
By 2019-20, when the NDIS is fully rolled out, a significant portion of existing CSO clients
will have transferred to the NDIS at which time clients will have a choice of service provider.
Government funding for people aged 0 to 65 years who require support to manage their
hearing loss and meet the thresholds for NDIS participation will be completely managed by
the NDIS and the market will become fully contestable. This means that CSO clients will be
able to choose to receive support for their hearing loss through a range of registered service
providers, including Australian Hearing.
Clients who currently receive services from Australian Hearing who transfer to the NDIS will
be able to choose whether to continue to receive those services from Australian Hearing.
Once the NDIS is fully implemented, eligible participants will benefit from greater choice and
control over the services they receive, including their choice of service provider and
potential access to new technology.
Services providers will receive funding for NDIS participants either directly from clients or
the NDIA.
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au
How will the NDIA ensure the quality of services provided to CSO clients?
•
•
•
We will be consulting with stakeholders, including the hearing loss and disability advocacy
groups, to prepare a transition plan. The transition plan will consider how best to prepare
the hearing services sector in a way which protects the current standards of high quality
hearing services.
The Commonwealth, state and territory governments are developing an NDIS National
Quality and Safeguards Framework which includes standards of clinical care and provision
of technology.
The Office of Hearing Services has commenced initial consultation on a potential Service
Delivery Framework for Hearing Services that could apply more broadly to the hearing
services sector.
How will the NDIA ensure that there is a continued focus on services and
client outcomes?
•
•
Work is currently underway to develop an outcomes framework for measuring participant
and family outcomes. The development of this outcomes framework considers how
outcomes can be measured at the scheme level as well as the individual level.
Once finalised, this framework will include eight participant domains which focus on client
outcomes – choice and control, daily activities, relationships, home, health and wellbeing,
lifelong learning, work, and social, community & civic participation.
6. Funding
What assurance is there that sufficient funding will be available under the
NDIS to provide support to people with hearing loss?
•
The NDIS will essentially be demand driven - there is no capped funding allocation for an
individual client.
Will funding of the National Acoustic Laboratories be affected by the
transition?
•
•
The NDIS will not affect the National Acoustic Laboratories.
Funding for the National Acoustic Laboratories will not transfer to the NDIS.
7. Access to supports/services
Will NDIS participants be able to get cochlear speech processor upgrades?
•
NDIS participants with cochlear implants will have access to speech processor upgrades
where reasonable and necessary as identified in the participant’s support plan. The Planner
is able to access expert advice, if required to make this assessment.
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au
How will the NDIA ensure that clients in rural and remote areas have access
to hearing services?
•
•
The NDIA will monitor market performance nationally, including in rural/remote areas. Close
surveillance of possible market failure and service gaps will help ensure risks to service
delivery are addressed.
When developed, the NDIS National Quality and Safeguarding Framework will apply to all
providers, irrespective of whether the provider is providing services in metropolitan or
rural/remote areas.
How will early access to supports for newborn children with hearing loss be
protected, also noting Australia’s international reputation for very low loss
to follow-up rates following newborn screening?
•
•
The early months for newborns diagnosed with hearing loss can be critical for the whole
family and it is recognised that the existing referral pathways work well in ensuring that
there is a minimal delay between the time of diagnosis and the delivery of hearing services.
It is important that the NDIS does not act as a barrier to this pathway and the NDIA will be
consulting with stakeholders on how this can best be achieved. Client experiences in trial
sites will also inform implementation of early intervention models for the NDIS.
8. Further information
•
•
It is early in the transition process and further details are being developed. This fact sheet
will be updated at key stages in the consultation process.
To be part of the transition planning process register your interest to attend a workshop.
(Date of issue: 7 May 2015 – Updated 17 June 2015)
Office of Hearing Services
www.hearingservices.gov.au
1800 500 726
hearing@health.gov.au