Download Cover Letter and Submissions

Begins
Here is an example of a covering letter that you can use.
The Standing Committee on Health
Aged Care and Sport
PO Box 6021
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Committee Chairperson
Submission to the inquiry into the Hearing Health and Wellbeing of Australia
(Explain briefly why you are making this submission)
(Write that you wish to have your name withheld if you don’t want your identity
published)
I offer the following submission as an index of unmet need and a call for equity for
every Australian who lives with hearing loss or impairment, a chronic ear disorder or
tinnitus; are Deaf or deafblind; and their families.
Yours sincerely
Name
Position title, Organisation if applicable
Postal Address
Contact Number
Email address
Date
Submission to the inquiry into the
Hearing Health and Wellbeing of
Australia
Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport
My name, or name of my organisation
(You can leave this blank if you don’t want your identity known)
xx December 2016
Introduction
An organisation might wish to describe its purpose and interest in the Inquiry)
I/We would like to offer comments and recommendations to this Standing Committee
on Health, Aged Care and Sport Inquiry in relation to some/all of the terms of
reference for this inquiry into the Hearing Health and Wellbeing of Australia.
(Delete the items in the Terms of Reference below that you don’t wish to comment
on)
1. The current causes and costs of hearing loss, and ear
or balance disorder to the Australian health care
system should existing arrangements remain in place.
This item provides some background information for the Committee. Many
organisations will provide the facts and figures across different populations.
You may wish to do that or you could just refer to the statistics that are relevant
to you eg those with balance disorders. It is not essential for individuals to
address every criterion within their submission.
If you intend to complete this section some points to consider are:

This criterion covers several things, so it is important to address whatever
part of the question that concerns you in a structured manner. We suggest
that you split the question into several parts e.g.
(a) causes and extent of hearing loss at different ages or in different
demographic groups e.g. children, adults, older Australians, Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples, Veterans, people exposed to noise in the
workplace or leisure noise. Prevalence of ear or balance disorders.
(b) costs related to various hearing impairments that you may be aware of.

Costs identified in these downloadable reports:- Causes and costs of
hearing loss, and ear or balance disorder to the Australian Health Care
system and Listen Hear -- the economic impact and cost of Hearing Loss in
Australia

Potential increase in cost due to the introduction of competition for
vulnerable groups under the NDIS that are currently funded as a
Community Service Obligation ie no profit.

You might also write a case study about the costs of living with impaired
hearing, especially if your example illustrates how hearing:
(i) impacts of the costs of the health system
(ii) has been related to, resulted from, or leads to further illnesses
(physical or mental) and the costs (personal, economic, social) to the
person and society.
It would be very helpful to be able to demonstrate to the government that
inaction on hearing loss prevention or appropriate care will cost the
Government money and that similarly, where appropriate and early
interventions occurred, how such costs were or could be avoided to make
savings to Australia. For example, noise limiters on I Pods preventing the
costs of noise induced hearing loss
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
NOTE: In writing a recommendation, make it something that the Government
can do. Ask them to do something concrete in every recommendation e.g.
recommend that the Government conduct a proper study to assess the full
health and economic impacts of living with impaired hearing.
2.
Community awareness, information, education and promotion
about hearing loss and health care.
Some points that would be relevant to include in this section are:
 Areas of need eg medical profession (why should GPs take hearing loss
more seriously), prevention programs
 Work done by community groups and organisations.
 Hearing Awareness Week.
 Lack of a national approach or funding. How could a national effort serve
to improve hearing loss prevention, better services etc.
 Reasons for making hearing health and wellbeing a National Health Priority
– what difference would it make to you or to Australia?
Australia has not had a substantive and systematic hearing loss prevention
program since the 1990s. Evidence exists of isolated programs of excellence
e.g. various ear bus services targeting prevention of Otitis media in Western
Australia. What do you think needs to happen in terms of hearing health
prevention and community hearing health education programs? Tell the
Committee about your ideas here and in the recommendation section below
propose the kinds of programs that need to be run.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
3.
Access to, and cost of services, which include hearing
assessments, treatment and support, Auslan language
services, and new hearing aid technology.
Points to consider:
 Who should be eligible for government funded services such as those
provided by Australian Government Hearing Services Program, Medicare.
Consider age groups, income status, etc.
 Loss of State Health audiology services – what would this mean to you?.
 Cost of accessing services for private clients - – what would this mean to
you? How much (more) would you be likely to have to pay for hearing aids
etc?. How often might you incur this cost?
 Cost for people affected by changes to the aged pension who will receive a
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card in place of their Pensioner
Concession Card. The Seniors Health Card does not include access to
Government funded hearing services – what would this mean to you? How
much (more) would you be likely to have to pay for hearing aids etc? How
often might you incur this cost?
 Risk to National Auslan Interpreter Booking and Payment Service (NABS)
for people who are not eligible for National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Cost of replacement cochlear implant processors for people not covered by
the National Disability Insurance Scheme, e.g. people aged over 65 years.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
4.
Current access, support and cost of hearing health care for
vulnerable populations, including: culturally and linguistically
diverse people, the elderly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders and people living in rural and regional areas.
Points to consider:
 Eligibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders under the Australian
Government Hearing Services Program and the culturally sensitive
outreach program currently available. Also consider the needs of refugees
coming from war exposure with noise induced hearing loss.
 To what extent, if at all, would you consider services to Aboriginal children
with ear infection (or risk of) adequate given the need?
 What outreach programs need to be available under the National Disability
Insurance Scheme for Indigenous Australians?
 How will services to vulnerable populations be maintained under the
Australian Government Hearing Services Program once the National
Disability Insurance Scheme has been implemented?
 Lack of funding for language interpreters.
 Lack of materials in other languages.
 Potential loss of accessible and equitable services once contestability
introduced under the National Disability Insurance Scheme – what would it
mean to you if your preferred service no longer exists under the NDIS?
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
5.
Current demand and future need for hearing checks and
screening, especially for children (12 years and younger) and
older Australians at key life stages.
Points to consider:
 Value/importance of newborn hearing screening programs.





Difficulty in accessing hearing assessment services for older children.
Need for a more coordinated approach to managing otitis media in
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child population.
Need for hearing checks and hearing services for people in juvenile justice
system and adult prison population.
Hearing screening for adults used as a marketing strategy by hearing
services providers.
The need to include hearing health check at routine Medicare funded agerelated health reviews.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
6.
Access, availability and cost of required drugs, treatments and
support for chronic ear and balance disorders sufferers.
Points to consider:
 Availability of assessment services and support.
 Estimate your annual medical bills, including medications, presently.
 Impact on you if you are unable to access adequate medications etc for
your condition.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
7.
Best practice and proposed innovative models of hearing
health care to improve access, quality and affordability.
Points to consider:
 Best practice models for paediatric clients.
 Risk of services to children being compromised with the introduction of
contestability.
 Use of teleaudiology.
 Best practice programs for people of working age.
 Best practice programs for people with noise induced hearing loss e.g.
workers’ compensation system.
 Best practice programs for elderly people in residential aged care facilities.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
8.
Development in research into hearing loss, including:
prevention, causes, treatment regimes, and potential new
technologies.
Points to consider:
 Work of Hearing CRC, NAL, Ear Science Institute.
 Importance of funding these Australian institutions.
 Australia’s role as a world leader in hearing research.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)
9.
Whether hearing health and wellbeing should be considered as
the next National Health Priority for Australia.
Points to consider:
 High incidence of hearing loss compared with other illnesses that are
targeted as National Health Priority Areas (see Listen Hear -- the economic
impact and cost of Hearing Loss in Australia for comparison of hearing with
other conditions – we have a greater burden of disease than existing
National Health Priorities).
 Need for national approach to raise awareness and to have a more coordinated approach to programs for vulnerable groups.
 A significant percentage of Australians experience hearing loss or
impairment, are Deaf or deafblind; live with chronic ear disorders or tinnitus.
 This represents a large but unaddressed burden of disease in Australia and
a greater health burden than existing National Health Priority Areas such
asthma, diabetes and musculoskeletal conditions.
 For the individual, their life opportunities can be seriously reduced by
restricting their language development, social participation and inclusion,
education, relationships and income.
 A large proportion of acquired hearing loss is highly preventable. There is
a need for community education programs to help protect people from the
effects of noisy occupations and recreational loud noise from personal
music devices, clubs and concerts.

What is needed is a nationally integrated policy approach to research, early
interventions, holistic services, prevention, and community education.
Recommendation:
The Australian Government should make Hearing Health and Wellbeing a
National Health Priority.
10. Any other relevant matter.
Points to consider:

Risks with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Sale of Australian Hearing.

Mental health issues for people with hearing loss.
Recommendation:
I recommend that the Australian Government ….
(enter your advice here)