Dear Title Name See Format Advice

[Date Month] 2014

Dear [Title name – see format advice],

We are writing to you to [voice or reiterate] our deep concern over the potential sale of Australian Hearing which we believe will greatly affect the services delivered to our [deaf/hearing impaired] child. This year the Government commissioned Price Waterhouse Coopers to undertake a scoping study on sale options. This report was due out at the end of October and is yet to be released.

As member of your electorate and a parent of a deaf child who uses Australian Hearing services, we ask you to listen to an investigative report “Have I got a hearing aid for you!” on the link below. ABC Radio National program “Background Briefing”, first presented this on 30/11/14, investigating audiology clinics and audiologists servicing adults for hearing aids, with a strong focus on achieving sales. These findings into the way adult client audiology services operate, validate the fears we have as parents of deaf children for the loss of quality, integrity, and unbiased advice for audiology services and equipment, currently provided by Australian Hearing for children and young adults through the Community Service Obligation.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/2014-11- 30/5920176

The key findings from the program included:-

a) Around 30% of audiology clinics in Australia are vertically integrated and owned by the hearing aid manufacturers;

b) Most audiology clinics have financial links with hearing aid manufacturers;

c) Incentives and bonuses were prevalent, including for up-selling to more expensive models;

d) Disclosure by audiologists to the clients of incentives and bonuses is not practiced;

e) Australian Hearing’s voucher system for adults has a 20% top-up sales target and the audiologists get a 5% commission.

The services provided to our deaf children should never be viewed as a marketing opportunity. The sale of Australian Hearing or privatisation of its services represents a high risk to the government and parents on gaining value for money from the equipment provided through buying power, and that equipment being appropriate for the child, rather than being influenced by manufacturer ownership of an audiology clinic, or incentives or bonuses to audiologists.

Yours faithfully,

[Your signature/s]

[Your name/s] [Your address] [Your e-mail address]