FAQ
You may be eligible for hearing aid funding through a number for agencies. At your appointment we will discuss the funding options that apply to you. Funding possibilities include:
- the Ministry of Health Hearing Aid Subsidy ($511 per hearing aid)
- The Ministry of Health Hearing Aid funding Scheme
- Accident compensation corporation (ACC)
- War pensions scheme – Work and income New Zealand (WINZ)
- New Zealand Audiological Society Hearing Aid Bank
- Some health insurance policies will cover your hearing assessment
More details about the types of hearing aid funding can be found here.
Advice on hearing protection and conservation.
We provide baseline hearing testing and custom ear plugs as required. This includes a baseline hearing assessment and impressions for custom hearing protection.
- A consultation to assess your custom ear plug needs will take 30 minutes and costs $50.
Custom ear plug options
- Custom noise plugs – $190 per pair
- Hocks noise breaker – $190 per pair.
- Pro Series musician ear plugs (soft moulds) – $290 per pair.
- ER Musician ear plugs (hard moulds) – $330.
- GSP-1 Electronic Ear Plugs for shooting – $695 per pair.
- GSP-15 Electronic Ear Plugs for shooting (and other noise) – $725 per pair.
- HD-15 Electronic Ear Plugs for blast and industrial noise – $725 per pair.
- MP-9/15 Electronic Ear Plugs for musicians – $725 per pair.
Other custom ear plugs:
- Custom sleep plugs – $190 per pair
- Swim plugs – $190 per pair
What is involved in your pre employment or diving hearing test?
Before starting a new job or a SCUBA diving course you may be required to have a diving hearing test to check your middle ears are functioning normally or to get a baseline of your hearing levels for pre-employment.
Your audiometry report is a full diagnostic hearing assessment done by our audiologist which measures your overall hearing levels and if there is hearing loss it will isolate the area of the ear where the hearing impairment occurs. Click here for more details of a full diagnostic is hearing assessment.
Before you come
- Remember to bring photo ID
- Your ears will need to be clear of wax before the hearing test as we use insert ear phones.
Click hear for more information about wax removal.
What is involved in your pre-employment or diving hearing test?
- Otoscopy – we will check your ear canals are clear and healthy
- Pure tone audiometry – where you will press a button in response to quiet tones
- Speech audiometry – when you will repeat back words that you hear though the head phones
- Immittance audiometry – is an automated test that measures how your ear drums respond to pressure changes and whether a small muscle in your ear contracts to loud sounds (acoustic reflexes).
Time frame
The hearing test usually takes about 30 minutes.
Your Audiogram report
We will give you the original report to submit and will keep a copy on file for the future comparisons and we can email it directly to your employer or doctor as needed.
If your child has recurrent ear infections (often over the winter time) we are able to quickly assess whether your child currently has glue ear. Available for children of all ages.
- The first glue ear check appointment takes 30 minutes and subsequent appointments take 15 minutes.
We see children over the age of 5 for full hearing assessments; including pure tone audiometry, speech perception testing and middle ear assessments.
- A hearing assessment for children will take 30 – 60 minutes.
Hearing aids – If hearing aids are required children are usually referred to the free hospital service. We are able to fit hearing aids to children at Auckland Hearing if preferred.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)– Children with normal peripheral hearing but who are showing signs of Auditory Processing difficulties will be referred on for further assessment.
Children 0 – 5 years – can be seen at the Auckland University – School of Audiology in Glen Innes. Call (09) 923 9909 for an appointment.
Click here for more information about testing children’s hearing assessments.
Hearing aid consultation. Once we have a current hearing assessment (within 12 months) we are able to discuss your hearing needs.
- We set aside an hour for a hearing aid consultation with our audiologist at Auckland Hearing; it is free of charge (unless it is a second opinion and you are already trialing with another company).
- At this appointment we usually give you an opportunity to listen through hearing aids and even have a coffee in the cafe next door while wearing them if we have time.
- A second opinion appointment (where you are currently trialing hearing aid with another clinic) is $120 and this will be refunded if you choose to have hearing aids fitted with us.
Hearing aid adjustment / reprogramming. A recent full hearing test is required – last 12 months. Have you stopped wearing your hearing aids and feel you need to start again? Or is the sound not quite right for you?
- A hearing aid adjustment will take 30 minutes.
- A hearing aid adjustment and hearing test together will take 1 hour
Our main focus at Auckland Hearing is assisting Adults with hearing loss to improve their communication with family, friends and colleagues. The initial hearing test will help us to understand your hearing loss and from there we can discuss your hearing needs. If required after seeing our audiologist, you will be referred to a Doctor or specialist for further assessment.
A hearing assessment and hearing management discussion is and will take 60 – 90 minutes. We will give you an opportunity to listen through some hearing aids if you would like to.
A diagnostic hearing assessment for a GP or ENT specialist (includes report) will take 30 to 60 minutes.