A Tauranga audiologist fears the Western Bay will be among the regions hardest hit by new changes to ACC cover for people with work-related hearing loss.
The sweeping changes, which came into effect on New Year's Day, mean check-ups and hearing aid repairs will no longer be fully covered by ACC.
Claimants will now also receive only part funding towards the cost of hearing aids from ACC.
Previously, those who suffered work-related hearing loss were able to seek full ACC cover, which gave them free hearing checks, repairs and hearing aids.
Under the new system, support for claimants will be measured on a joint "apportionment" scale between ACC and the Ministry of Health, with their level of ACC cover dependent on how much of their hearing loss is work-related.
The changes are the result of heavy funding cuts to bring down sharply rising ACC costs.
Triton Hearing Clinic audiologist Carey Wright believed the new system would specifically impact on elderly claimants, whose age made it harder for them to seek cover for noise-related claims under the apportionment system.
She said while audiologists had strived to keep clients informed about the changes, there would inevitably be those oblivious clients who received nasty surprises at their next check-up.
She feared the impact on the Western Bay would be heavier than most places because of its demographic of retirees.
"A lot of claimants here are retired farmers or horticulturists who have sold the farm and retired here."
She also worried the new costs would deter claimants, who made up a "significant proportion" of her client base, from coming in for check-ups.
The New Zealand Audiological Society has called January 1 "a sorry day for the country and for those with hearing loss" and accused ACC Minister Nick Smith of ignoring thousands of people who opposed the cuts.
However, Ms Wright believed there was still room for negotiation with the Government.
Dr Smith said the changes were needed to rein in the rising cost of ACC hearing loss claims, which had spiralled.
He said the changes would not affect people with severe hearing loss, who were funded entirely by the Ministry of Health, returned servicemen receiving support from Veterans' Affairs or the financial support available for low-income earners from the Ministry of Social Development.
They would, however, mean "less generous" funding for people with a mix of injury and non injury-related hearing loss.
ACC CHANGES
Appointment costs are no longer fully covered by ACC, requiring claimants to pay a portion of the costs towards the hearing assessment and fitting of their hearing aids.
ACC will now only pay a portion of the cost of claimant's hearing aid(s).
Claimants are now limited to two ACC-paid repairs or services to their hearing aids at their audiology clinic.
Should hearing aids need to be sent to the hearing aid manufacturer, ACC will pay up to $200 every two years towards the repair cost.
Hearing loss sufferers in Bay 'hit hard'
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