Schedule of Service Items Consultation

Overview

The Department of Health (department) is responsible for managing and administering the Australian Government Hearing Services Program (the program).

The program is governed by the Hearing Services Administration Act 1997 (the Act), the Hearing Services Program (Voucher) Instrument 2019 and Service Provider Contract (Contract). The instrument legislates the creation of a Schedule of Service Items and Fees, which includes

• program standards which establish specific requirements for service delivery to program clients
• service delivery conditions and requirements, including identifying the evidence required to substantiate services
• program and client fees for services.

Why your views matter

Following a thematic review of the program legislation, five existing instruments were repealed and replaced with the Hearing Services Program (Voucher) Instrument 2019. As a result of the new instrument, the department developed and consulted on a revised version of the Service Provider Contract. The new contract has been executed by the department and all existing service providers, and now is in effect.

The current Schedule of Service Items is being redeveloped to

• consolidate program standards, service items, and claiming and evidence requirements, in one reference document
• ensure clarity of the program requirements for service delivery
• review and incorporate the Hearing Rehabilitation Outcomes (HROs) into the updated Schedule of Service Items, with the intention to cease the HROs, as standalone document, from 1 July 2020.

This will make it easier for providers to access relevant information in one place.

Feedback on the proposed Schedule of Service Items

Before providing your feedback please ensure you have read the consultation documents, including the Schedule of Service Items.

Please see the related information box below for a link to the Schedule of Service Items Consultation webpage, which contains information on the updated documents and the consultation.

FEEDBACK FOR THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF SERVICE ITEMS MUST BE PROVIDED BY MIDNIGHT 19 JUNE 2020. FEEDBACK RECEIVED AFTER THIS TIME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED IN THE CONSULTATION. 

What happens next

The department will keep providers informed about the processes, timelines and updates through the Schedule of Service Items Consultation webpage. Providers and anyone interested in being kept up to date are advised to register for the RSS Feed on the program website. The RSS feeds will send an email update when a webpage is updated or a new CSPN is released.