Yes, a hearing test can be free in Australia if you’re eligible for the government’s Hearing Services Program, which includes Pensioner Concession Card holders and DVA Gold Card holders, or if you’re under 26. For everyone else, Medicare generally doesn’t cover hearing tests by audiologists, so you’ll usually pay privately, although private health insurance may refund part of the cost.
The confusion stems from the fact that “free hearing test” means very different things depending on who’s offering it, what’s included, and whether you qualify for government funding. After nearly 20 years in audiology, I can tell you the marketing around “free tests” often leaves people confused. Here’s who pays for what.
Who Actually Qualifies for a Free Hearing Test?
Hearing Services Program (HSP) Eligibility
The Hearing Services Program is the main route to a fully subsidised hearing assessment in Australia. Eligible groups include:
- Pensioner Concession Card holders
- DVA Gold Card holders, and DVA White Card holders with hearing-related conditions
- People receiving Sickness Allowance
- NDIS participants referred for hearing services
- Disability Employment Services participants
- Members of the Australian Defence Force
If you’re eligible, you can apply to the program online, by form, or through a registered provider such as The Audiology Place, which is an HSP and DVA provider. Your hearing assessment is then covered, and the program also provides hearing aids if you need them, including a fully subsidised option. This is a full diagnostic assessment, not a quick screening. See our pensioner and DVA hearing assessments page for how it works at our clinics.
Children and Young People Under 26
People under 26 are also covered by the Hearing Services Program, but they receive services through Hearing Australia’s Community Service Obligations program rather than through private providers. The same applies to some other groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 50. Parents often don’t realise the upper age extends to 26, so if you’re at university or in your first job and worried about your hearing, it’s worth contacting Hearing Australia.
What About Medicare?
Medicare does not cover hearing aids, and hearing tests by audiologists are generally not covered by Medicare either. There are limited exceptions, for example some allied health visits under a GP chronic condition management plan, but these won’t apply to most people who simply want their hearing checked.
So when someone asks, “Can I get my hearing test bulk billed?”, the answer for most adults is no. Our guide to Medicare and hearing aids explains this in more detail.
Private Health Insurance Rebates
If you hold private health insurance with extras cover, you may be able to claim a rebate on a hearing test and on hearing aids. Whether you get a rebate, and how much, depends on your fund and level of extras cover, so check with your fund before the appointment.
Check your annual limits too. Some funds combine audiology with other services under one limit, so recent claims for other extras can reduce what’s left for hearing.
How Much Does a Private Hearing Test Cost?
At The Audiology Place, an adult diagnostic hearing assessment takes 90 minutes. It includes:
- Case history and symptom review
- Otoscopy (checking your ear canals and drums for wax, infection, or structural issues)
- Pure tone audiometry, air and bone conduction
- Speech discrimination testing in quiet and, where indicated, in background noise
- Tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing to assess middle ear function
- A detailed explanation of your results, recommendations, and onward referral if needed
This isn’t a screening. If we identify something that needs medical review (a conductive loss, asymmetry or a sudden change), we’ll refer you back to your GP or to an ENT. Private fees vary between clinics and depend on what’s included, so ask what the fee covers when you book. Our step-by-step guide to what happens at a hearing test explains each part.
What’s the Difference Between a Free Screening and a Diagnostic Test?
This is where a lot of hearing-test advertising gets confusing. A hearing screening is a pass/fail check, often done at a shopping centre or community event. It might test a few frequencies, take ten minutes, and tell you “you should see an audiologist.” That can be useful as a prompt, but it’s not a diagnosis. You can’t fit hearing aids or make medical decisions from a screening alone.
A diagnostic hearing assessment maps your hearing across the full frequency range, determines type and degree of loss, checks middle ear function, and rules out red flags that need medical attention. It’s the foundation for any treatment plan. Screenings are fine for awareness; they’re not a substitute for the real thing.
If someone offers you a “free hearing test,” ask what’s included, how long it takes, and whether there are any conditions. If the answer is a few minutes and a sales presentation, you’re getting a screening rather than a diagnostic assessment.
Practical Steps: What to Do Next
If you’re a pensioner or DVA cardholder: Apply to the Hearing Services Program or book with a registered provider who can help you apply. Bring your concession or DVA card.
If you’re under 26: Contact Hearing Australia, which provides program services for this age group.
If you’re an adult without HSP eligibility: Expect to pay privately. Check your private health extras, and ask the clinic upfront what the fee is and what it includes. A good independent practice will give you a straightforward answer and a detailed report you can take elsewhere if you choose.
If you’re unsure: Call and ask. Any reputable audiologist will clarify costs, eligibility, and what the appointment involves before you book. If a clinic is vague about fees or pushes you to commit on the spot, be cautious.
A Note on Independence and Transparency
We’re an independent, family-run clinic with no ties to any hearing aid manufacturer. When you’re tested here, the focus is diagnosis first, and if you don’t need intervention yet, we’ll tell you that and suggest when to recheck.
Hearing health shouldn’t require you to decode marketing or sit through a hard sell. You deserve to know what you’re paying for, what your results mean and what your options are.
