Hearing Business Alliance represents, supports and promotes small to medium, independent hearing care businesses.
We are an inclusive organization,
and our Member businesses are owned by Audiologists, Audiometrists, and others
providing hearing health care to Australian communities.
Why did we create an alliance of independent, small hearing care businesses?
We had no voice ... we changed that
Hearing Business Alliance represents, supports and promotes small to medium, independent hearing care businesses.
We are an inclusive organization,
and our Member businesses are owned by Audiologists, Audiometrists, and others
providing hearing health care to Australian communities.
Why did we create an alliance of independent, small hearing care businesses?
We had no voice ... we changed that
REPRESENTING YOUR BUSINESS
We now have a say in legislative policies affecting our businesses.
Since we formed HBA in September 2016, we have represented our Members in negotiations with, among others, Federal and State governments, a Parliamentary Inquiry, a Hearing Health Sector Committee, ACCC, AGCNCO, ASBFEO, HAS, NDIA and various hearing industry organisations and stakeholders.
HBA is a founding member of the Hearing Health Sector Alliance (HHSA)
October 2020: As an Executive member of the HHSA, HBA continues to represent issues impacting our Members.
We recently met with the Minister, The Hon. Mark Coulton, Prof. Mike Woods and Dr Zena Burgess from the HSP Review Panel, Chris Carlile and other key Department of Health personnel. At these meetings HBA continues to raise awareness of issues faced by small hearing businesses that provide services to deaf and hard of hearing consumers.
HBA was also a member of the Roadmap for Hearing Health Committee, which identified over 140 actions recommended to improve hearing health in Australia. The HHSA has worked collaboratively to highlight five key priorities under the COAG-endorsed Roadmap for Hearing Health.
We are proud that an outcome of this collective approach is that in the 2020-21 federal budget, Government allocated $21.2M towards initiatives we highlighted as Roadmap priorities.
What is the Hearing Health Sector Alliance?
The HHSA is comprised of four constituencies: consumers, professionals, research, and industry.
Industry representatives are HBA, the Hearing Care Industry Association (HCIA) for large national/multi-national and vertically-integrated businesses, and the Hearing Aid Manufacturers and Distributors Association of Australia (HAMADAA) for device manufacturers.
This means that every time a business issue is raised, HBA is there representing our smaller independent businesses - the businesses that are HBA Members.
2019 inaugural Media Release and Background Paper. Our eight founding members:
Raising Members' Concerns with Government
Photos. In March 2020, before we were all confined by the restrictions of Covid-19, Jane was busy representing HBA in Canberra - advocating for equal opportunity and a level playing field for hearing health small business providers. Among those she met with were:
The Hon. Mark Coulton, MP, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, whose portfolio includes the Hearing Services Program.
The Hon. Paul Fletcher, MP, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts.
The Hon. Trent Zimmerman, MP, Chair, Parliamentary Inquiry into Hearing Health.
The Hon. Dr Mike Freelander, MP, Co-Chair of Parliamentary Friends of Hearing Health and Deafness, and Deputy Chair of Parliamentary Inquiry into Hearing Health.
Senator The Hon. Hollie Hughes, Chair of Select Committee on Autism.
The Hon. Chris Bowen, MP, Shadow Minister for Health.
The Hon. Bill Shorten, MP, Shadow Minister for NDIS and Government Services.
The Hon. Linda Burney, MP, Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services and for Preventing Family Violence.
The Hon. Steven Georganas, MP, Committee member of Parliamentary Inquiry into Hearing Health.
The Hon. Zali Steggall OAM, MP
The Hon. Dr. Fiona Martin, MP, Co-Chair of Parliamentary Friends of Hearing Health and Deafness.
Mr Chris Carlile, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health, Hearing Services Program.
Ms Sarah Hawke, Branch Manager of the Participant Outcomes Branch, Department of Social Services.
In October 2019, we met with The Hon. Mark Coulton, MP, The Hon. Trent Zimmerman, MP, and representatives from the Departments of Human Services, Social Services, and Health, the Hearing Services Program, and discussed:
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Action priorities under the Roadmap for Hearing Health
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Recommendations under the Still waiting to be heard ... report
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Transition of hearing services under the NDIS
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Paediatric audiology services under the NDIS
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Therapeutic Goods Administration classification of hearing devices
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Changes under the Hearing Services Program
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Growing the Hearing Health Sector Alliance
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HICAPS
In October 2019, we met with The Hon. Mark Coulton, MP, The Hon. Trent Zimmerman, MP, and representatives from the Departments of Human Services, Social Services, and Health, the Hearing Services Program, and discussed:
A government delegation flew to Mildura to meet our Chairman Don MacDonald and Executive Officer Jane MacDonald.
We discussed our challenges delivering hearing services in remote rural areas, and those of small business owners who provide hearing services under the HSP and the NDIS, and other paediatric, adult diagnostic and rehabilitative work.
Thank you to Mr Chris Carlile (Assistant Secretary, Hearing Services Program), Ms Skye Rogers (Director, HSP Hearing Policy) and Ms Raelene Johnston (Dept. of Human Services).