Information about hearing devices for health care providers

Once we have confirmed someone’s hearing loss is work-related and the claim is approved, you will work with them to select a hearing device from one of our contracted manufacturers.

Please keep in mind:

• If your patient has filed a claim with us, please wait until they receive confirmation of claim approval. Patients entitled to WSIB benefits should not be paying out-of-pocket expenses.
• Patients are entitled to a minimum 30-day and maximum 90-day trial period for the hearing aid, starting on the date of the hearing aid fitting.
• We will replace a hearing aid after it has been in use for five years.
• Exception-level hearing aids always require pre-approval.

Audiologists can prescribe hearing aids for people with approved hearing loss claims. 

The hearing aids we offer have a range of features and styles that meet the needs of most people with work-related hearing loss. Both entry and mid-level aids have an expedited billing and payment process.

Once we receive confirmation that your patient is satisfied with the selected hearing aid, the hearing aid is paid at our contracted rate. All additional technology requests require our pre-approval.

Exception-level hearing needs

We will consider people with severe to profound hearing loss and additional medical considerations for an exception-level hearing aid. They must have clinical requirements that cannot be met by the authorized models in the entry and mid-level range.

Before you submit a request, you must demonstrate that your patient has trialed mid- and entry-level hearing aids from a range of our preferred manufacturer models, and you have determined they are unsuitable.

• Complete the hearing aid replacement and/or clinical exception request form and submit it to us along with the prescription and most recent hearing assessment form to request exception-level hearing aids, as we must pre-approve the request
• You must submit reports within six months of the hearing test
• Submit copies of the manufacturer's invoice(s) with the completed form

See the clinical exception guidelines for more details.

As outlined in our hearing devices policy, we generally consider one request to replace a lost, stolen or damaged hearing aid every five-year cycle.

All contracted hearing aids currently come with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty (two years coverage for lost or damaged aids).

If this happens during the hearing manufacturers’ warranty period, the manufacturer will cover that one replacement. If the loss or damage happens outside of the warranty period, we will cover the cost.

If it happens again within five years of the previous loss, it’s your patient’s responsibility to cover the cost.

To submit a request:

• Your patient must complete and submit a declaration of lost, stolen or damaged hearing device form
  • It’s their responsibility to complete, sign (cannot be digitally signed) and submit the declaration form to us.
  • They should only complete the form if a device was damaged because of an accident or situation other than regular wear and tear.
• You must include the manufacturer's invoice, including both zero-dollar invoices for replacements under warranty and the paid invoices for replacements outside of the warranty, or correspondence confirming it is damaged beyond repair. You must also complete and submit a hearing aid replacement and/or clinical exception request form that is reviewed and signed by the patient.

If we approve the declaration and the request form, we’ll replace the hearing aids with the same model as the original, if it’s still available from the manufacturer. If it is not available, please select the most similar model from the same manufacturer.

For lost exception-level hearing aids, you must submit a hearing assessment form with the clinical exception request form, and the prescription. See the guidelines for more information on clinical exceptions.

If a patient needs a replacement hearing aid(s) before the five-year renewal date, regardless of the age of the hearing aid(s), you can submit a request form for consideration under the replacement of hearing aid(s) guidelines.

If the replacement request is approved, the patient's five-year eligibility period restarts.

For example, if they received their original hearing aid on January 2, 2020, the five-year cycle would end on January 1, 2025. After that, the patient is eligible for replacement hearing aid(s), if needed. If the hearing aids were stolen and we approved the replacement on April 15, 2023, for example, the five-year cycle restarts from that date and would end on April 15, 2028.

Clinic services related to replacing lost, stolen or damaged hearing aid(s) are part of the ongoing hearing service bundle in the hearing service program.

Hearing assistive technologies (HATs) help improve a person’s ability to engage within their environment. These devices provide a link between the wearer and the sound source (e.g., TV listening devices, amplified telephone, etc.).

If the hearing aid(s) cannot operate without the remote control, the manufacturer must include it. We will not pay for the remote in these cases.

Hearing assistive technologies are allowed on a case-by-case basis. You can make requests following the completion of the hearing aid trial period, and after the final hearing aid selection has been confirmed.

You must submit a request for hearing assistive technology and we must approve the request before you dispense any hearing assistive technologies.

We may consider FM systems if someone has severe to profound hearing loss in several frequencies. For us to consider approving FM systems, you must first:

• Complete speech in noise testing (e.g., QuickSIN, AzBio Sentences)
• Request pre-approval for trialing a short-range device 

We will consider replacement requests if a hearing assistive technology is out of warranty and no longer functional. We require supporting documentation from the manufacturer before considering a replacement. A

Manufacturer’s repairs or remakes

• While the warranty period is in effect, you cannot bill us for remakes and repairs for the first three years
• You need to submit the manufacturer’s invoices for all repairs/remakes
• We do not cover:
  • any fees, shipping or handling charges for the return of the item to the manufacturer
  • additional dispensing fee(s), handling or administrative charges 

Hearing aids

All hearing aids include:

• A 36-month parts and labour warranty that begins from the date of fitting. We will not pay any invoices for any repairs or remakes during this period
• A 12-month parts and labour warranty for repairs and remakes
• A 24-month loss and damage replacement warranty per side

Loss and damage replacement coverage:

• For the first two years, the manufacturer will cover the replacement of lost, stolen or damaged hearing aid(s) at no additional cost
• You must submit the manufacturer’s invoices for all lost, stolen or damaged replacements within this warranty period

All warranties include all necessary parts, replacements, repairs or remakes, as needed, during the warranty periods at no charge. Rechargeable models will include a battery charger and rechargeable batteries in the cost of the device at no added charge.

Hearing aids come with a user manual to provide instructions on how to safely and effectively use, care for, maintain and clean the hearing aid.

FM systems

All FM systems include a 24-month parts and labour warranty and a 12-month service warranty for parts and labour.

During the manufacturer’s warranty period, the manufacturer will provide any necessary labour, components, parts or materials covered by the warranty free of charge. We are not responsible for any fees, shipping, handling or administrative charges to deliver the item to the clinic. 

After the hearing aid warranty period expires, we may pay reasonable costs for the manufacturer to repair the hearing aid unless there is evidence that the hearing aid was deliberately damaged, misused, or the operating instructions were not properly followed.

We will pay the repair or remake fee only when the hearing aid is sent to the manufacturer for service. To receive payment, you must submit the manufacturer’s invoice describing the repair or remake, the cost and the serial number of the device. Hearing aids repaired by the manufacturer are covered under a one-year warranty.

You must provide your patient with the replacement hearing aid with their original settings intact.
Clinic services related to repairs and remakes are covered in the ongoing hearing service bundle in the hearing services program. Repairs or remakes do not require pre-approval.

Hearing aid batteries

We include batteries as part of the initial entitlement and hearing services initial bundle (first year of hearing aid use). For subsequent service years, we will cover reasonable requests for hearing aid batteries that meet the patient’s needs during the lifespan of the hearing aid. All rechargeable hearing aids come complete with the charging unit and batteries at no extra cost.