Review of Services and Technology Supply in the Hearing Services Program
As part of the transition of hearing services to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Department of Health (Health) contracted PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to undertake a review of services and technology supply in the Hearing Services Program (the program).
Review
The review included an analysis of the benefits and challenges inherent in the current voucher component of the program service delivery model. This included options that might better support client outcomes and streamline business processes.
Information about the elements that made up the review can be found in the Service Items and Fees and Supply of Assistive Hearing Technology (AHT) pages.
Stakeholder Consultation
PwC engaged with a range of stakeholders representing government, industry, consumer groups and professional practitioner bodies. Stakeholders were invited to participate in information gathering exercises and surveys. The findings from these activities contributed to a public discussion paper that PwC released for stakeholder comment in April 2017 and its final report.
Report
PwC’s report Review of services and technology supply in the Hearing Services Program (the report) encompasses major review findings of the current approaches to services and technology supply in the program, an analysis of research which includes local and international environmental scanning, and a set of recommendations.
The executive summary and the full report are available for public viewing.
The review is now closed and Health will consider the report in the context of broader policy direction regarding the program and its future.