Hearing Aids
Treatment Benefit Scheme

Hearing loss is common as people get older. Services to help with hearing loss - Aural services - are provided through the HSE by audiologists, general practitioners or consultant ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeons. Usually people are referred by their General Practitioner to an audiologist or an ENT specialist for a hearing test. Hearing tests involve an examination of your ear with a magnifying instrument. The examination involves putting on headphones and listening to sounds at different pitches so the audiologist can find the level at which you can no longer hear.

Hearing Aids
Hearing aids help to amplify sound, making it loud enough for you to hear. If you have a medical card or belong to the eligible groups mentioned below, you can obtain your hearing aid free of charge. If you do not have a medical card, your hearing aid clinic will put you in touch with suppliers of hearing aids.

Services can be provided free of charge to certain people, including:

• Medical Card holders and their dependants
• People with Hepatitis C who contracted the disease through the use of blood products within Ireland and who have a Health Amendment Act Card
• Preschool children and national school children referred from child health service and school health service examinations

If you do not have a medical card, the Treatment Benefit Scheme will cover you and your dependent spouse if you have enough social insurance contributions for some of the cost of hearing aids.

Treatment Benefit Scheme
The Treatment Benefit scheme is a scheme operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Under this scheme, contributions made by people to the national social insurance fund are paid back to fund the cost of certain health benefits. These health benefits include dental benefit, contact lenses, optical benefit and Hearing Aids. The Department of Social and Family Affairs will pay up to half the cost of a hearing aid or repairs to a hearing aid, subject to a fixed maximum contribution.

Applying for Treatment Benefit
You must satisfy certain conditions regarding payment of PRSI in order to qualify for Treatment Benefit. You must apply to the Department of Social and Family Affairs for approval by completing the appropriate application form.

For more information on the Treatment Benefit Scheme, contact your local Social Welfare Office or go to www.welfare.ie.

Treatment Benefit Section
Department of Social and Family Affairs
St. Oliver Plunkett Road
Letterkenny
Co. Donegal
Telephone: LoCall 1890 400 400 (Ext 44480) (From Republic of Ireland only)
Dublin (01) 704 3000

You can get information booklets and application forms from your local Social Welfare Office or on the Internet at www.welfare.ie or by telephoning the Department's LoCall Leaflet Request Line at 1890 20 23 25.

Citizen's Information Centres
LoCall: 1890 777 121
Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm
Website: www.citizensinformation.ie

Irish Hard of Hearing Society (IHHA)
35 North Frederick Street
Dublin 1
Tel: (0)1 8723800
www.ihha.ie
Email: info@ihha.ie

Irish Deaf Society
30 Blessington St
Dublin 7
Tel: (0)1 8601878
www.irishdeafsociety.ie