Attempts to make hearing aids more accessible for low income and severely deaf people are a positive step forward, but will only make a difference if the Government makes public audiological services more accessible to these adults. The New Zealand Audiological Society is applauding the Government's decisions to better fund hearing aids for adults severely deaf from birth and those with a sudden and severe hearing loss not caused by accident or injury, and to increase the hearing aid subsidy for those with mild or moderate hearing loss. "Targeting hearing aid funding to these people who are disadvantaged is positive. The difference that improving a person's hearing can make to their quality of life cannot be underestimated," says Lesley Hindmarsh, President of the New Zealand Audiological Society. "However we are concerned that it will be too difficult for many of these people to access the services they need and be fitted with hearing aids because the waiting times for public audiological services are too long or the service non-existent in many parts of New Zealand. "The New Zealand Audiological Society urges the Government to specify that audiology services provided by District Health Boards must include adult services. "Unless staffing and retention of audiologists in the public sector is improved this funding will not be available to those it is meant for as their only option will be to pay for services in the private sector," says Mrs Hindmarsh. People should not be mislead by the Government's announcement that it is providing fully funded hearing aids. The Government only pays the cost of the hearing aid, but doesn't pay any of the costs of testing hearing or fitting the hearing aid. These costs are significant when people need services outside the public health system. The New Zealand Audiological Society is also concerned about what seems to be an ad hoc approach to decisions about funding and support for hearing loss. "The Government's recent ACC changes locked out thousands of people from hearing aid funding and moved the liability to the Ministry of Health. Now the Ministry of Health has proposed introducing a Pharmac style tendering process for hearing aids that will add a cost but still won't ensure that individuals get the best hearing aid for their hearing loss." The New Zealand Audiological Society urges the Government to consider a holistic solution to improving participation by Deaf and hearing impaired in the community. Working with all partners in the hearing industry to develop solutions has already proven successful with ACC saving $10 million in the last 18 months in hearing aid costs without needing to set up costly tendering processes.