Hearing service providers
Hearing service providers must be approved by SIRA and are able to provide hearing aids (and rehabilitation) to workers with hearing loss as a result of noise in the workplace.
COVID-19 update: SIRA has introduced a number of changes to help medical, allied health practitioners and injured people during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include:
- Telehealth services so that treatment consultations can occur via video or over the telephone
- Find out more information about the changes to certification for workers compensation.
- Updated our Fees Orders and Workers compensation guidelines to remove the requirement for insurer pre-approval for many treatment services delivered by telehealth.
Hearing service providers
Hearing service providers must be approved by SIRA and are able to provide hearing aids (and rehabilitation) to workers with hearing loss as a result of noise in the workplace.
Changes for hearing service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Fitting and rehabilitation can be provided by telehealth services if technology allows and the clinician is satisfied that client outcomes will not be compromised. The Hearing Aid Fees Order has been updated and now includes a telehealth code.
- For replacement aids SIRA has temporarily removed the need for certification from a general practitioner to reduce the need for workers to travel and attend a clinic appointment.
- Where a worker’s hearing has not changed significantly the hearing service provider can use a previous assessment to eliminate the need for a face to face hearing assessment.
Providing hearing aids
The supply of hearing aids to a worker must be approved by the insurer.
In determining whether hearing aids are reasonably necessary treatment, an insurer may consider:
- medical information, including an audiogram establishing hearing loss was related to employment, and
- a quote for the cost of the hearing aids that does not exceed the maximum identified in the SIRA Hearing Aid Fees Order.
Replacing hearing aids
Hearing aids can be replaced when the hearing aid:
- has been lost or damaged and is not covered by warranty or other insurance, or
- the worker can no longer communicate effectively using the current hearing aid.
You need to complete a request a replacement hearing aid form when requesting a replacement.
Assessment of need
- The nominated treating doctor (NTD) will determine an appropriate assessment and the treatment needs of the worker. The NTD may refer the worker to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist to assess the degree of any hearing loss, relationship to the worker's employment and whether hearing aids are reasonably necessary.
Please note, if a claim for lump sum compensation is to be made for work related hearing loss, an assessment must be undertaken by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist who is a trained assessor of permanent impairment listed on the SIRA website.
If the ENT is assessing permanent impairment, they will also determine
- the level of binaural hearing loss, and
- the proportion of the hearing loss that is attributable to workplace noise.
Forms you might need:
- Hearing service provider application form (static)
- Hearing service provider application form (interactive)
- Request a replacement hearing aid form
Publications you might need:
- Guidelines for the evaluation of permanent impairment
- Workers compensation guidelines
- Working with hearing loss - a workplace adjustment
Fees and invoicing
Get treatment approval first
If the insurer denies liability, or declines a treatment request because it does not meet 'reasonably necessary' criteria, the insurer is not responsible for payment of accounts.
So before treating your patient please confirm they have submitted a workers compensation claim, and that you have approval from the insurer to start treatment.
The fees orders provide a maximum fee for services provided to a worker. You can't exceed the maximum fees stated in the Fees Order.
All fees you can charge are listed below:
Current health-related fees
These are the and rates orders.
- Accredited Exercise Physiology fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Hearing Aid fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Independent Consultant fees order (effective 1 March 2021)
- Injury Management Consultant fees order (effective 1 March 2021)
- Massage Therapy fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Medical Examinations and Reports fees order (effective 1 March 2021)
- Medical Practitioners fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Psychology and Counselling fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Surgeon fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Private Hospital Maximum rates fee order (2020) (effective 1 April 2020)
- SIRA rates for General Practitioners 2021 (effective 1 January 2021)
- SIRA telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners 2021
- Ambulance service fees order 2021 (effective 6 August 2021)
- Public hospital rates order 2021 (effective 6 August 2021)
Historical health-related fees
These are the historical health related fees and rates orders.
Fees and rates orders 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Accredited Exercise Physiology
- Fees Order 2020 - Accredited Exercise Physiology No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Hearing Aid
- Fees Order 2020 - Hearing Aid No 2 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Independent Consultant
- Fees Order 2020 - Independent Consultant No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Independent Consultant No 3 effective 17 April 2020)
- Fees Order 2020 - Injury Management Consultant
- Fees Order 2020 - Injury Management Consultant fee order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Fees Order 2020 - Massage Therapy
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Examinations and Reports
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Examinations and Reports fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Practitioners
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Practitioners No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Practitioners No 3 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Fees Order 2020 - Orthopaedic Surgeon No 2 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Fees Order 2020 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy No 3 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Psychology and Counselling
- Fees Order 2020 - Psychology and Counselling No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Psychology and Counselling No 3 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Surgeon Fees Order
- Fees Order 2020 - Surgeon Fees Order No 2 effective 17 April 2020
- SIRA rates for General Practitioners 2020
- 2020 Public Hospital Fees Schedule (effective 1 July 2020)
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2020 (effective 1 July 2020)
- Workers compensation (ambulance service fees) order 2020 (effective 11 September 2020)
Fees and rates orders 2019
- Fees Order 2019 - Accredited Exercise Physiology
- Fees Order 2019 - Hearing Aid
- Fees Order 2019 -Private Hospital Fee Order
- Fees Order 2019 - Independent Consultant
- Fees Order 2019 - Injury Management Consultant
- Fees Order 2019 - Massage Therapy
- Fees Order 2019 - Medical Examinations and Reports, No. 2
- Fees Order 2019 - Medical Examinations and Reports
- Fees Order 2019 - Medical Practitioners
- SIRA 2019 workers compensation rates for general practitioners
- Fees Order 2019 - Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Fees Order 2019 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Fees Order 2019 - Psychology and Counselling
- Fees Order 2019 - Surgeon Fees Order
- 2019 Private Hospital Fees Schedule
- 2019 Public Hospital Fees Schedule
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2019
Fees and rates orders 2018
- Ambulance fees schedule 2018
- Fees order 2018 - accredited exercise physiology
- Fees order 2018 - hearing aids
- Fees order 2018 - independent consultants
- Fees order 2018 - injury management consultants
- Fees order 2018 - massage therapy
- Fees order 2018 - medical examinations and reports
- Fees order 2018 - medical practitioner
- Fees order 2018 - orthopaedic surgeon
- Fees order 2018 - physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy
- Fees order 2018 - psychology and counselling
- Fees order 2018 - surgeon
- Public hospital fees schedule 2018
- Private hospital fees schedule 2018
- SIRA rates for general practitioners 2018
- Workers compensation (private hospital rates) order 2018
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2018
- Workers compensation (ambulance services fees) order 2018
Fees and rates orders 2017
- Fees order 2017 - accredited exercise physiology
- Fees order 2017 - hearing aids
- Fees order 2017 - independent consultants
- Fees order 2017 - injury management consultants
- Fees order 2017 - massage therapy
- Fees order 2017 - medical examinations and reports
- Fees order 2017 - medical practitioner
- Fees order 2017 - orthopaedic surgeon
- Fees order 2017 - physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy
- Fees order 2017 - psychology and counselling
- Fees order 2017 - surgeon
- SIRA rates for general practitioners 2017
- Workers compensation (ambulance services fees) order 2017
- Workers compensation (ambulance services fees) order 2017 no2
- Workers compensation (private hospital rates) order 2017
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2017
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2017 no2
- Workers compensation rates for general practitioners 2017
When invoicing, we have a payment system that requires itemised invoices. This system enables consistent data collection from service providers and insurers and ensures accurate payments.
Services delivered via telehealth should use the updated code.
What your invoices will need to include
SIRA requires medical practitioners and other service providers to provide itemised invoices before payment can be made by the insurer.
To prevent delays in payment, these details will need to be provided on all invoices.
- worker’s first and last name, and claim number
- payee details
- ABN
- name of the health practitioner who delivered the service
- Medical practitioners:
- AHPRA number, and
- Medicare provider number (unless not registered with Medicare)
- Allied health practitioners:
- SIRA approval number (where applicable), and
- AHPRA number/professional association accreditation/membership number
- date of service
- SIRA workers compensation payment classification code or AMA item number where applicable
- service cost for each SIRA workers compensation payment classification code or AMA item number and service duration (if applicable)
- date of invoice (must be on the day of or after last date of service listed on the invoice).
Invoices should be submitted within 30 calendar days of the service being provided.
Invoices should be submitted within 30 calendar days of the service being provided.
Send your invoices to the worker’s insurer.
Do I need a SIRA provider number?
Yes. If you're a hearing service provider you must have a SIRA provider number to provide hearing services to workers in the NSW workers compensation system.
How do I become approved?
If you are a contracted hearing service provider with the Office of Hearing Services you can apply for a SIRA provider number.
First review the guideline for approval of treating allied health practitioners and then complete the hearing service provider application form (interactive). If you have difficulties with the interactive form you can download and print this static form.
Submit it to providers@sira.nsw.gov.au
Approval of hearing service providers
Any contracted hearing service provider with the Office of Hearing Services is eligible to apply for SIRA approval as a hearing service provider.
To apply, fill out the hearing service provider application form (interactive) and submit to providers@sira.nsw.gov.au
If you have difficulties with the interactive form you can fill out this static form.
You can email providers@sira.nsw.gov.au or call 13 10 50 for more information.
Further information
The workers compensation guidelines provide additional information on how the claims process works, and what type of payments and expenses may be available.