In an Australian-first, international hearing specialists Audika have partnered with Qantas Frequent Flyer to reward individuals for taking care of their hearing health.

With this partnership, Audika is providing an extra reason for Australians to take the first step towards hearing health and have a hearing check with Audika. This offer further demonstrates Audika’s commitment to making hearing health a priority for all Australians.

With more than 3.6 million Australians living with a hearing loss, only 21 per cent of people with hearing loss obtain a hearing aid. Moreover, the prevalence of hearing loss increases with age to almost 60 per cent in adults over the age of 60, and 74 per cent in adults over the age of 71.

Audika managing director of retail Janet Muir, said the partnership marks the first time Qantas Frequent Flyer has worked with a hearing healthcare company in this way.

“We hope the popularity of earning Qantas Points will encourage more people to get a hearing check or seek to improve their hearing through purchasing hearing aids with Audika,” Muir said.

“This new partnership provides value-add benefits for our existing and new clients. It ensures our focus is always on working for the benefit of clients and providing the best hearing health care possible.”

There are more than 400 Audika clinics in Australia that offer free hearing tests and access to government subsidies where relevant.

The offer takes effect from today in Australia and offers Qantas Frequent Flyers:

• 1,000 bonus Qantas Points for their first hearing test or screen; and
• 1 Qantas Point per dollar spent on out of pocket on hearing aids with Audika

Qantas Points can be redeemed on a suite of products and services including flights, hotels, holiday experiences, shopping, food, wine and insurance.

One in six Australians suffer from some degree of hearing loss and by 2050, this will increase to one in four. Moreover, more than one-third of people with hearing loss suffer from hearing impairment through preventable means, costing Australia $12.8 billion annually in lost productivity.

“Hearing loss is a major health issue for Australia, people with known hearing loss are often unwilling to acknowledge it or act on it due to the associated stigmas with hearing loss. Research shows the links between hearing loss and depression, mental fatigue, reduced cognitive capacity, and recent studies are pointing to associations with dementia. We believe this offer will help us to encourage customers in Australia to add hearing onto their overall health agenda and take the first step to hearing health by having a hearing check,” added Muir.

Audika conducts thousands of hearing checks across Australia and is a leading national provider of comprehensive hearing health care for adults, including counselling, rehabilitation, hearing devices, and offers a specialist referral pathway for cochlear and bone conduction hearing solutions.