Useful information
Glossary of Terms
Summary of terminology used in the Hearing Services Program.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Words which are capitalised are included as defined terms in the Glossary
A
ACCREDITATION - is the process used by the Office of Hearing Services to assess and approve a provider of Hearing Services, to ensure they meet the requirements to provide hearing services to Hearing Services Program clients.ACCREDITATION SCHEME - the Accreditation Scheme, established by the Hearing Service Providers Accreditation Scheme in 1997, to accredit Hearing Services Providers to provide hearing services to clients of the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.
ACCREDITED SERVICE PROVIDER – a hearing service provider that has been accredited through the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. If an Accredited Service Provider has finalised the contract with the Office of Hearing Services they are referred to as a Contracted Service Provider.
ALTERNATIVE LISTENING DEVICE (ALD) – sometimes referred to as an Assistive Listening Device. ALDs are devices which assist someone with a hearing loss to hear and understand what is being said more clearly. ALDs commonly include headphones and microphones.
ASSESSMENT – A test undertaken by a Hearing Practitioner to find out whether someone has a hearing loss and the type of loss.
AHSPIA - Australian Hearing Specialist Program for Indigenous Australians (AHSPIA) is Australian Hearing’s Outreach Service, delivered in a culturally sensitive way in localities that actively encourage Indigenous people to use hearing services. The services are shaped to meet the different audiological needs that arise in Indigenous communities caused by the high prevalence of otitis media and its associated hearing loss.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HEARING SERVICES PROGRAM (the Program) – a program managed by the Office of Hearing Services, in the Department of Health and Ageing. The Program provides eligible people with access to a range of hearing services, including hearing devices where applicable.
AUSTRALIAN HEARING - A statutory authority that reports to the Minister for Human Services in accordance with the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997. It administers hearing services under the Australian Hearing Services Act 1991.
B
BEHIND THE EAR – is a type of device where the main body of the device, including the electronics and battery sits in a case behind the ear.BICROS AID - a hearing aid fitted on one side of the head, with sound delivered from microphones on each side of the head.
BINAURAL FITTING – where a Hearing Device is fitted in both ears.
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C
CLINICAL HEARING SERVICES – services which include a hearing assessment; device fitting and evaluation; training and advice.COMMUNITY SERVICE OBLIGATIONS (CSO) - Community Service Obligations (CSO) client categories means the classes of persons to whom declared hearing services are provided under the Declared Hearing Services Determination 1997(as amended). The CSO is a component of the Australian Government Hearing Services Program, and is administered by Australian Hearing.
CLINICAL RECORDS - (Prior to 1 July 2012) any records, information, data or documents about clients which the Services Provider creates or maintains for the purposes of the Rules of Conduct or the Service Provider Contract.
CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDER - a Hearing Service Provider who has been accredited and contracted with the Office of Hearing Services to provide services to clients of the Hearing Services Program.
COMPLAINT – Where a client of the Hearing Services Program makes a notification, either verbally or in writing, to the Office of Hearing Services, about services or standards which were not satisfactory to the client.
COMPLEX CLIENT - A client who has severe to profound bilateral hearing loss (defined as 3FAHL of 80 dB or greater in the better ear) or whose communication is severely limited due to significant physical, intellectual, mental, emotional or social disability and is entitled to receive higher level services from Australian Hearing.
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION - means confidential facts or knowledge that is not publically or is designated by the Commonwealth as confidential.
CROS AID - Hearing aid with microphone on one side carrying sound from that side of the head to the other side.
CDEP - CDEP means Community Development Employment Projects program and is an Australian Government funded initiative for unemployed Indigenous people in selected locations. Responsibility for the CDEP program now lies with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). SHOULD THIS BE REMOVED AS CDEP HAS CEASED TO EXIST
CLIENT – means a person who has met the eligibility requirements for the Hearing Services Program.
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D
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGEING – The Commonwealth Department responsible for the Australian Government’s priorities for health and ageing. It operates under the Public Service Act 1999 and the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. The Office of Hearing Services operates within the Department of Health and Ageing.DEPENDANT - means an eligible person as defined in the Hearing Services (Eligible Persons) Determination 1997 where:
(a) a person has attained the age of 21 years and is the spouse or de facto spouse of an eligible person; or
(b) a person who:
- (i) has attained the age of 21 years but is under 25 years; and
(ii) is receiving full time education at a school, college or university; and
(iii) is not being paid a disability support pension under the Social Security Act 1991; and
(iv) is wholly or substantially dependent on the eligible person or the spouse or de facto spouse of the eligible person.
DISQUALIFIED PERSON - a person is a disqualified person at a particular time if:
(a) the person has been convicted (whether before or after the commencement of this section) of a disqualifying offence; and
(b) if the person was sentenced to imprisonment—the time occurs during the period:
- (i) beginning when the person was convicted; and
(ii) ending 5 years after the person’s release from prison; and
- (i) beginning when the person was convicted; and
(ii) ending 5 years after the conviction.
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E
ELIGIBLE PERSONS You are eligible if you are an Australian Citizen or permanent resident 21 years or older and you are:
- a Pensioner Concession Card Holder;
- receiving Sickness Allowance from Centrelink;
- the holder of a Gold Repatriation Health Card issued for all conditions;
- the holder of a White Repatriation Health Card issued for conditions that include hearing loss;
- a dependent of a person in one of the above categories;
- a member of the Australian Defence Force; or
- undergoing an Australian Government funded disability management services and you are referred by your disability employment services case manager.
You are eligible to receive hearing services through the CSO component of the Program if you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident and you are:
- younger than 21 years, or
- a participant in a Community Development Employment Projects Program, or
- an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is over 50 years.
ENTITY - an individual, body corporate, partnership, an authority of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory, or a Department of the Government of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory, as defined in the Hearing Services Administration Act 1997)
ECLAIM - an on-line claim for services lodged by a Hearing Service Provider, via their computerised accounting system to Medicare Australia.
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F
FREE-TO-CLIENT DEVICE- is a hearing device which has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia’s regulator for therapeutic products, for distribution in the Program and is listed on the Schedule of Devices. Free to client devices are free to eligible people in the Program.G
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H
HEARING DEVICE - goods for hearing rehabilitation, and includes the earmould and any other attachments necessary for the operation of the device.HEARING SERVICES - (a) services for purposes in connection with: (i) hearing rehabilitation; or (ii) assessment of hearing; or (iii) hearing loss prevention; or (b) goods for purposes in connection with: (i) hearing rehabilitation; or (ii) assessment of hearing; or (iii) hearing loss prevention.
HEARING PRACTITIONER - a person who is: (a) engaged by a Contracted Service Provider to provide clinical hearing services to Clients of the Program; and (b) accepted by the Office as qualified to provide those services.
HEARING SERVICES CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (HSCC) - a Ministerial Advisory Committee that advises the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing on emerging hearing policy issues of national concern.
HEARING LOSS PREVENTION PROGRAM (HLPP) - a research and prevention program funded by the Department of Health and Ageing to support research into preventable hearing loss. This program funds action research projects on potential prevention strategies that target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, young people and those in the workplace.
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I
IN THE EAR DEVICE- are hearing devices which sit fully inside the ear.Top of Page
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M
MAINTENANCE SERVICE – includes any of the following services: (a) servicing a Hearing Device to ensure it operates effectively; (b) giving advice to a Client about the use or servicing of a hearing device; (c) providing and replacing Hearing Device batteries.MEDICAL PRACTITIONER - a person who, under the law of a State or Territory, is a legally qualified medical practitioner.
MANUAL CLAIM - A paper claim received from Contracted Services Providers for payment of services provided to clients. Manual claims are uploaded to Medicare Australia.
MANUAL VOUCHER - A Hearing Services Voucher that is printed within the Office of Hearing Services rather than through the automatic weekly run via the Mailing House. Manual Vouchers can be printed at any time through week after an application has been successfully registered by the Office.
MONAURAL FITTING – a device which is fitted in one ear only.
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N
NOMINEE - a person or organization named to act on behalf of someone else.Top of Page
O
OFFICE OF HEARING SERVICES (OHS) - The Office, within the Department of Health and Ageing, that administers the Australian Government Hearing Services Program (the Program) and manages funding for hearing services through a national network of hearing service providers. The Office is also responsible for managing the overall funding and policy related to the provision of the Community Service Obligations component of the Program delivered by Australian Hearing.OSHCA - Office of Hearing Services Claims Application - OHSCA is the claims acceptance payment system application developed for the Office by Medicare Australia (see Medicare v OHS BPA)
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P
PERMANENT SITE – A site, location or facility operated by a Contracted Service Provider and where hearing services covered by the Program are provided on an ongoing basis.PROGRAM – means the Australian Government Hearing Services Program, also referred to as the Hearing Services Program.
PROVISIONAL AUDIOLOGIST - means a person who is approved as a provisional audiologist under rule 29 (of the Hearing Services Rules of Conduct 2012) and whose approval has not been revoked or suspended.
PORTAL - The web environment that the Australian Government Hearing Services Program website will operate from early 2013, including new functions to allow applications to be processed online and an interactive Service Provider Directory.
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Q
QP (QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER) - means a qualified Hearing Services Practitioner (audiologist or audiometrist).QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER NUMBER – means the unique number allocated to a qualified practitioner by the Minister under rule 28 of the Rules of Conduct of the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.
QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER (AUDIOLOGIST) - means a person who is approved as a qualified practitioner (audiologist) under rule 26 (of the Hearing Services Rules of Conduct 2012) and whose approval has not been revoked or suspended.
QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER (AUDIOMETRIST) - means a person who is approved as a qualified practitioner (audiometrist) under rule 27 (of the Hearing Services Rules of Conduct 2012) and whose approval has not been revoked or suspended.
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R
RECORDS - (From 1 July 2012) Any records, information, data or documents about clients which the Services Provider creates or maintains for the purposes of the Australian Government Hearing Services Program (Rules of Conduct or the Service Provider Contract). Prior to 1 July 2012, Records were referred to as Clinical Records.RELOCATION - When a client moves from one Hearing Service Provider to another within the Program, and moving the responsibility for providing hearing services from one provider to another.
RELOCATION LETTER - A letter provided by the Office of Hearing Services when a client has requested to be relocated to another Hearing Service Provider.
REPLACEMENT - Replacement fitting of a new hearing device when an existing device has been lost or damaged beyond repair.
RETURN VOUCHER - Voucher issued to a client who has previously received services under the Hearing Services Voucher System. This is called a re-validated voucher under the Legislation
RETURN VOUCHER REQUEST FORM (RVRF) – A form that is issued to clients after the expiration of their previous voucher.
RULES OF CONDUCT - The 2012 Rules outline the requirements and standards that Contracted Service Providers must adhere to when providing services to eligible voucher-holders under the voucher system of the Program. They also establish the qualification requirements for hearing practitioners that Contracted Service Providers can use to deliver clinical hearing services to eligible voucher-holders.
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S
SCHEDULE OF APPROVED DEVICES – This schedule is a list of all devices currently approved and offered under the Program. This list is provided to Contracted Service Providers for claiming purposes and contains the Device make model and Device Number. The Schedule is broken down into three components: Main Schedule, Top-up Schedule and Supplementary Schedule.SCREENING TEST - Partial hearing test aimed at checking only the key frequencies, usually 0.5,1,2 and 4KHz. There is usually a pass or fail result which will identify people needing further audiological assessment.
SERVICE PROVIDER NUMBER – Contracted Service Providers, who are accredited with the Program are issued an individual identification number at the start of their Contract.
SITES – the facilities where a Hearing Service Provider undertakes their services. All sites must meet the requirements of the Hearing Services Program and can be a Permanent Site or Visiting Site.
STUDENTS - means student audiologists enrolled in a tertiary course in audiology and acting under the direct supervision of a qualified practitioner (audiologist) OR student audiometrists enrolled in a Diploma in Hearing Device Prescription and Evaluation and acting under the direct supervision of a qualified practitioner (audiometrist) or qualified practitioner (audiologist).
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T
TOP-UP DEVICE – the Device you are offered will depend on your clinical needs, which will be explained to you by your Hearing Practitioner. Under the Program, there are a range of Free to Client devices which are fully subsidised. Top-up devices are only partially subsidised by the Program. These Devices have non-essential optional extras.TOP-UP DEVICE SCHEDULE – is the list of all Top-up Devices currently available through the Program.
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V
VISTING SITE– A site, location or facility operated by a Contracted Service Provider and where hearing services covered by the Program are provided on a non-regular basis through visiting services.VOUCHER – an authority (in paper or electronic form) issued by the Office of Hearing Services to eligible clients of the Hearing Services Program enabling them to have their hearing tested and devices reviewed. Vouchers are current for a period of three years.
VOUCHER CLIENT – a Client who is eligible under the Hearing Services Program and has been provided a Voucher for Hearing Services.
VOUCHER CONFIRMATION - a verbal confirmation to the client. This confirms the client has been issued with a valid voucher.
VOUCHER VERIFICATION - a document the Office of Hearing Services provides a Contracted Services Provider when a client, eligible for a hearing assessment, attends a hearing appointment without the allocated Voucher. This document is used to replace the Hearing Services Voucher in the client’s clinical file (the client must give consent for this documentation to be sent and this can only occur on or after the date of assessment).
VOUCHER DETAILS - The Voucher details are the details including the date of issue; the service or services for which it is issued; the date by which it must be first presented to a contracted service provider for a hearing assessment; the name of the voucher-holder; and, any other relevant matters.
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