Children
Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand provides free hearing aids and related services for tamariki and rangatahi (up to the age of 21 who are full-time students).
There is no significant wait list for children's hearing aids because hearing is essential to early speech, language and social development.
Adults
To be eligible for free hearing aids via the public service, adults must hold a current Community Services Card and either:
- qualify for Disability Support Services, or
- have a moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss (defined as an average hearing loss of ≥ 56 dB across the 3 worst thresholds from 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz in the better ear).
There may be a waiting list for adults and this can exceed 2 years unless there are significant safety concerns.
Deaf or hearing loss equipment for adults — Disability Support Services