Hearing Awareness Project
Financial help is available to purchase hearing aids, assistive listening devices, or alerting systems. No matter where you live in Canada, there is someone near you.
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Provides health care benefits and services to veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces, members and ex-members of the RCMP, and their dependents. Services and benefits include financial assistance for health care (dental care, hearing aids, glasses, drugs, prosthetics, special equipment and home adaptations, medical supplies, and medical travel). Contact the Regional Office for more information.
- Human Resource and Skill Development (Canada)
- The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities can help eligible participants to pay all or a portion of the cost of expenses relating to devices, aids or equipment required to start their own business or, increase their employment skill level or, integrate into the workplace through services tailored to meet their special needs. Contact your local HRSD office.
- Social Services
- Provincial or Municipal Social Services/Assistance, and Provincial Rehabilitation Services, Disability Support Programs, Assistive Devices Programs, Extended Health Programs, Aids to Living, Disability Related Employment Supports. etc. - You, and/or your dependents, may be eligible for a subsidy or the full cost of assessments, hearing aids, supplies (ex. batteries), devices and related services. You must apply to the programs before making any purchases to determine your eligibility. If you are receiving Social Assistance, you may be eligible for extra medical benefits to help defray costs. Find out what coverage is available and eligibility requirements by contacting your local MPP/MLA, Municipal Councilor, or Hearing Health Care Provider.
- First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB)
- If you are eligible for FNIHB Non-Insured Health Benefits (status card), hearing aids and accessories is one of the covered benefits for you and your eligible dependents.
- Group Health Insurance Plans
- Your employer's insurance plan may provide Extended Health Benefits for you and your dependents, to cover some or all of the expenses related to the purchase of the aid or device.
- Local Agencies
- Local agencies serving deaf and/or hard of hearing people may also know about local and other resources, provincial assistive technology programs, and provincial financial assistance programs for persons with disabilities.
- WCB (Worker's Compensation Board)
- This Board may go by a different name in each province but they provide generally the same services. They offer no-fault insurance for employers and their workers and provide disability benefits, including hearing health care services and the purchase of hearing aids. The hearing loss must be related to a workplace injury, and there may be a time limit to make your claim after the injury.
- Be Creative
- Consider partial funding from several sources operating jointly. Example: a federal government employee can, if they play their cards right and have a modicum of luck, pay for the purchase hearing aids in this manner: partly under GSMIP insurance, partly from the employer's accommodation fund (this requires arguments on the need for above-average hearing aids for meetings, and other job-related demands), partly provincial health plan (depends on jurisdiction), partly from your own pocket. Other possible combinations may include all of the above mentioned programs, and benefits covered by your spouse under a different program.
- Payment Plans
- Many clinics offer monthly payment plans for their clients; for example, in British Columbia you can obtain a no interest 3, 6, or 12 month payment plan through Care Credit Patient Payment Plans, which is a division of GE Money Bank. (Care Credit pays the service provider in full at time of delivery, and consumer makes required minimum monthly payments to Care Credit.) Ask your Dispenser about payment plans available in your community or province.
- Hearing Aid Manufacturers
- Assistance for low-income families or individuals in purchasing hearing aids may be available from some manufacturers. Ask your audiologist, hearing aid practioner or dispenser for funding sources, or about the possibility of manufacturer discounts, donations or clinical trials.
- Charities/Clubs
- Many organizations assists low income individuals, children and youth with purchasing hearing aids including but not limited to the following:
- The Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children
- The Lion's Hearing Aid Bank
- The Optimist Club's Help them Hear Program
- Quota International
- Sertoma International
- The Royal Purple of Canada
- The Royal Legion of Canada
- Kiwanis Clubs
- Rotary Clubs
- Jeremy Chiao Foundation
- March of Dimes
- Easter Seals of Canada
- Hike Foundation-Job's Daughters
- Contact the CHHA local Branch
- This is one of the reasons they are there, to help you find information and the help you need.
Canadian Hearing Aid Subsidies (pdf)- Access to assistive devices can be difficult. There are various programs in place through the government of Canada that aid in the funding of these devices. The following document outlines these programs and provides links to further information. CHHA has recently updated this document.
- Where to Obtain Devices and Systems (pdf)
- CHHA has compiled a list of information on where devices can be obtained in pdf format for your convenience.
Copyright © 2009 the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
Direct commercial exploitation is not permitted. No warranty of accuracy is given concerning the contents of the information contained in this publication. To the extent permitted by law, no liability (including liability to any person by reason of negligence) will be accepted by CHHA its subsidiaries or employees for any direct, or indirect loss or damage caused by omissions from or inaccuracies in this document. CHHA reserves the right to change details in this publication without notice.