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This bundled model was built and developed with key clinical experts and in collaboration with the various hearing associations.
Starting November 18, 2024, health care providers must deliver services through the hearing services program. If someone started the previous noise-induced hearing loss program of care before November 18, 2024, read more about service delivery.
Program at a glance
Year one – Initial services bundle
Your patient must have an approved claim with us for work-related hearing loss (noise-induced or traumatic) to be in the hearing services program. The program starts with the initial services bundle, which covers the first year of services.
1. Assessment
- Audiometric testing (if not already conducted in the last six months)
- Evaluation of communication needs
- Selection of hearing aid technology
- Prescription (signed by an audiologist or physician)
- Pre-fitting counselling and information
What you need to do
Submit the hearing assessment report (including audiogram) to us within five business days from the service date.
2. Dispensing and fitting
- Listening check, and electroacoustic measures and analysis
- Hearing aid physical fit and sound quality
- Hearing aid instructions (e.g., use, care, maintenance)
- Patient education (e.g., counselling, education, information and social supports)
- Verification using real ear measurements
- Hearing aid programming (includes wireless pairing) and cerumen management
- Batteries
What you need to do
Submit the manufacturer's invoice to us within five business days from the dispensing date.
3. In-house services (maintenance visits)
- Cleaning per instrument
- Minor repairs and parts replacements service
- Impressions clinic service and material fees
- Wax removal
- Other services as needed
4. Trial follow-up
- Re-programming, physical fit adjustments, cleaning, repairs and remakes as needed
- Patient’s education/reinstruction
What you need to do
- Submit the hearing services initial bundle - outcome report to us within five business days from the follow-up appointment.
- Then, bill us for the report and service through TELUS Health.
See more details on the initial service bundle.
Year two and onward – Ongoing service bundle
Mandatory service:
- Physical inspection of the hearing aid (including receiver), minor repairs and parts replacement, cleaning and maintenance of the device, and physical ear check
Other services may include the following, as needed:
- Hearing assessment and related audiogram
- Routine maintenance and/or adjustments
- Performance testing (including electroacoustic analysis, real ear verification); reprogramming if needed
- Impressions clinic service and material fees
- Service related to manufacturers repairs and remakes
- Cerumen management (wax removal)
What you need to do
- Submit the ongoing hearing services report to us within five business days from the service date:
- Then, bill us for the report and service. You can submit bills electronically through our online services on the TELUS Health Provider Portal.
Billing for the annual ongoing service bundle is split into two payments that are made a minimum of 180 days from date of initial visit.
See more information on the ongoing service bundle.
Additional follow-up as needed by the patient during the ongoing bundle within that year
- Complete all follow up services that your patient needs or requests during the year to ensure optimal hearing and device function.
- Your patient may visit for services whenever they need to, in between the 180-day billing periods.
- Submitting the report and billing, however, only occurs at a minimum of 180 days from the date of their initial visit (maximum of twice in a year).
What you need to do
To bill the total annual fee, patients must visit at least two times (at 180-day intervals). For billing purposes, you’ll need to submit an ongoing hearing services report for each visit.
See more details on mini service bundles.
Initial service bundle
The initial service bundle includes all services within the first year of the program, such as the assessment, dispensing/fitting and in-office services.
Hearing aid trial period (30-90 days)
As part of the hearing aid selection process, a trial period is built in to ensure the hearing aid has been tested and fitted for the individual, and then accepted. During this period, the patient can trial and change their hearing aid(s) until up to a maximum of 90 days after their initial fitting. The minimum trial period is 30 days to make sure the patient has time to determine if the hearing aid meets their needs.
The trial period must include testing the hearing aid in all aspects of their life, including at work, if appropriate. Your patient must confirm that they have the most suitable and satisfactory aid. As needed, you must ensure access to a variety of hearing aids during this time to ensure best fit.
If the patient selects a different aid at any time during the trial period, you must complete and submit the hearing aid selection change report. There is no limit to how many aids a patient trials during the 30- to 90-day period. However, the trial period does not extend beyond 90 days. You’ll need to complete a selection change report for each new aid.
After the trial period is complete and the patient is satisfied with their selected hearing aid, you must complete and submit the hearing services outcome report (initial bundle) to us, signed by the patient.
Clinical exceptions
People with severe to profound hearing loss and medical considerations can be considered for an exception-level hearing aid. They must have clinical requirements that cannot be met by the authorized models in the entry and mid-level range.
Before you submit a request, review our clinical exception guidelines.
Ongoing service bundle details
After the initial bundle (first year with the device), the patient will require services to ensure effective hearing and maintenance of the device and related services. The patient initiates these services, not the clinic. Services included in this payment model are delivered annually but billed twice per year (every 180 days) after the initial bundle is completed.
You must deliver the ongoing services in person. Any additional services the patient may require are included in the bundle and are not billable to us or the patient.
To ensure payment for the ongoing service bundle, you must complete the ongoing services bundle form. The patient must sign the form in person. You do not need to submit any forms for services delivered within the 180-day period.
We will process payment for the ongoing bundle fee once we receive the completed form and you have submitted a bill for it.
Mini service bundle details
The mini bundle only applies when someone needs a new prescription for a replacement hearing device within the five-year life cycle (e.g., the patient has a significant change in their hearing). This bundle requires our pre-approval. Refer to our guidelines on replacement devices for more information.
You will need to complete the hearing aid replacement and/or clinical exception request form and submit it to us with the new prescription and hearing assessment (audiogram). When submitting the request, provide information on the steps you have taken to resolve any issues and/or clinical solutions.
Services in this bundle include but are not limited to:
- Hearing assessment
- Hearing aid selection
- Prescription
- Selection of hearing aid technology
- Dispensing/fitting
- Impressions clinic service and material fee
- Programming
- Verification using real ear measurement
- Electroacoustic analysis
Trial period during the mini bundle
The patient can trial the replacement hearing aids for 30-90 days starting once dispensed. If they trial a different aid after the initial replacement aid was dispensed, you will need to complete and submit the hearing aid selection change form to provide us with information about the patient’s current device.
There are no limits to how many devices a patient can trial during the 30 to 90-day period; however, a new selection change form is required each time they trial a new device.
After the trial period is complete and the patient is satisfied with their selected replacement hearing aid, complete and submit the hearing services outcome report (mini bundle) to us.
Audiologist consultation
An audiologist consultation fee is available to expand access to audiologists to support hearing instrument specialists when completing assessments. This helps to ensure access to care where audiologists have the option to provide consultation services to hearing instrument specialists to enable a prescription.
What is included in the fee?
- Consultation between health care providers to gather and review necessary information to complete prescription
- Following college/scope of practice and privacy
- Audiologist prescription provided to hearing instrument specialist
- Audiologist submission of signed prescription to us
How is the consultation fee paid?
- The prescription completed by the audiologist needs to be submitted to us to receive payment (the hearing instrument specialist must bill their bundle fee)
- This fee can only be billed by audiologists registered with TELUS Health
Reporting and forms
Log in to your online services account with us to submit completed forms, reports and supporting documents. This section lists mandatory reporting requirements for the hearing services program.
- Submit this report as part of your patient’s initial hearing loss claim submission.
- This report outlines the patient’s hearing loss and your recommendations.
- Submit this form during the 30 to 90-day trial period (initial or mini bundle services) along with the manufacturer's invoice.
- Complete this form each time a patient tries a new hearing aid during the trial period.
- The patient must sign the form in person.
- Submit this report after the 30 to 90-day trial period is complete.
- The same hearing health care provider that completed the initial assessment must complete this report.
- This report confirms the patient’s satisfaction with their hearing device(s).
- The patient must sign the form in person.
- Requests for hearing assistive technologies require our pre-approval before dispensing.
- Submit this form for us to review of your recommendation for any hearing technology.
- Submit this form when services have been provided after the initial bundle is complete.
- This form is only applicable when billing for the ongoing bundle, which is every 180 days.
- The patient must sign the form in person.
- Submit this form when your patient requires new hearing device(s) due to a clinical exception or change in prescription.
- We must pre-approve before you dispense a new device(s).
- Submit this report between 30 and 90 days from the date you dispensed the replacement hearing aid.
- The same hearing health care provider that completed the initial assessment must complete this report.
- The patient must sign the form in person.
Billing and fees
You can bill electronically through our online services on the TELUS Health Provider Portal. Submit billing within five business days from the date you delivered the service.
For bundled services, we will process the bundled fee payment only after we receive both the completed form or report, and the associated provider bill.
For more details on fees, review the hearing service program’s fee schedule.
For more information on electronic billing, please call the TELUS Health Support Centre at 1-866-240-7492 or visit TELUS Health.
Billing FAQs
When do I complete and bill hearing program reports?
Throughout the program, each bundle has specific reporting requirements. For more information on when to complete which form and how to submit it to us, refer to the reporting and forms section on this page.
Once the form is complete and submitted, you can bill us electronically through our online services on the TELUS Health Provider Portal. See the program fee schedule for more details.
Can I bill for services during the ongoing bundle at any time?
You can only bill for services during the ongoing bundle twice annually, at a minimum of 180 days apart.
Can I bill for the ongoing bundle if I am approved to bill a mini bundle too?
Yes, you can bill for an approved mini bundle and ongoing bundle once the last ongoing service you billed us for was more than 180 days ago.
Can I use fee-for-service billing for this program?
No, the hearing services program is based on bundled services. You cannot bill for individual service fees in conjunction with any of the bundles.
What WSIB service codes and fees should I use to submit bills?
You can find service codes and fees in our program fee schedule or through the online product search in the TELUS Health Provider Portal.
Transition scenarios and examples
Scenario one
I dispensed hearing aids to my patient on September 1, 2023 in the noise-induced hearing loss program of care. This means the initial year of service ended on September 1, 2024. They came back for maintenance services on November 18, 2024. How should I bill for this visit?
Since the maintenance service visit is within the new hearing services program, you can consider this visit as part of the program’s ongoing bundle and you can bill the first payment for this bundle.
Continue to deliver services, as required by the patient for optimal hearing, and you can bill again in a minimum of 180 days, which would be May 18, 2025 in this case.
Scenario two
My patient visited the clinic for hearing services on October 1, 2024 and is requesting additional follow-up services on December 1, 2024. What does this mean for billing?
You cannot bill us for the December 1st appointment as it is within three months from your last fee-for-service date in the old program of care, October 1st.
You can start billing for the ongoing bundle in the hearing services program starting January 1, 2025, as this date would be three months after your last fee-for-service date on October 1, 2024.
Scenario three
I have a new patient requesting services at my clinic on December 1, 2024. They were last seen at a different hearing health care clinic on November 18, 2024. What does this mean for billing?
If the patient’s last clinic billed for the ongoing bundle based on the November 18th service date, you cannot bill for the ongoing bundle until after May 18, 2025 (180 days from the last billable service date). Refer to the next section on when a patient changes clinic for more information.
When a patient changes clinic
If a patient changes clinics during the initial bundle and we issued payment to the original clinic, the new clinic cannot submit further billing for that year.
If a patient changes clinics during the ongoing bundle the following applies:
- The new clinic needs to call us to let us know about the change and confirm the next allowable billing date.
- If the patient changes clinics within 180 days from the last service date at the original clinic, the new clinic cannot bill us.
- The new clinic can bill us for services delivered more than 180 days from the last billing.
If the patient is unable to tell you when they were last seen at a clinic, please call us at 1-800-387-0750.
We will consider cases where the patient requires urgent services due to exceptional circumstances.
Home visits
We must pre-approve all home visit requests. We consider these requests on a case-by-case basis.
If your patient requests a home visit, they’ll need to call us and speak with their noise-induced hearing loss adjudicator to confirm if we can approve a home visit, and if so, whether it’s on a temporary or permanent basis.
Home visits that occur during the initial bundle and mini bundle are included in the fees. You cannot bill a separate home visit fee alongside the initial and mini bundle fee.
Home visits can be billed during the ongoing bundle, with approval.
Out of province
Any qualified hearing health care provider can provide services to patients with WSIB-approved hearing loss claims. Out-of-province providers can submit their invoices and reports through our online services.
We will pay out-of-province providers based on their provincial fee schedules.