Garda & Prison Officer Medical Aid

St. Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society (GMA)

St. Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society is a private membership health insurance society for serving and retired members of An Garda Siochana and their families — you join by paying a regular subscription, rather than it being an automatic entitlement. Their outpatient benefits include a contribution toward hearing aids, calculated after any PRSI Treatment Benefit is taken into account. Their own terms list hearing tests as not covered, separately from the hearing aid itself. Exact figures and conditions are set by the Society and can change, so we keep this general — check current terms directly at medicalaid.ie.

Prison Officers Medical Aid Society (POMAS)

POMAS is a separate private membership scheme for serving and retired Prison Officers, offering its own contribution toward hearing tests and hearing aid costs for members. As with the Garda scheme, membership is required and benefit terms are set by the Society and can be updated over time — check current figures directly at pomas.ie.

How this fits with the PRSI grant

Both of these membership schemes are separate from the general PRSI Treatment Benefit hearing aid grant available more widely, and are generally designed to work alongside it rather than instead of it. It's worth checking your PRSI entitlement as well as your society membership benefit when working out the total contribution available to you.

Getting your hearing aid

Whichever schemes apply to you, it starts with a proper hearing test with a qualified, independent audiologist, followed by a hearing aid fitting if one would help — with home visits available if travelling is difficult. The audiologist can provide the invoice you'll need to make your claims.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Garda Medical Aid Society hearing aid benefit free?

No — St. Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society is a paid membership health insurance scheme, not a free entitlement. You pay a regular subscription to be a member, and benefits are paid out from that. Check medicalaid.ie for current subscription rates and benefit terms.

Do I need to be a Garda or Prison Officer to claim?

You need to be a paying member of the relevant society — St. Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society for Gardai, or the Prison Officers Medical Aid Society (POMAS) for Prison Officers. Being a serving or retired Garda or Prison Officer on its own doesn't automatically give you cover; membership is separate.

Does the Garda Medical Aid Society cover hearing tests?

Based on their own published terms, hearing tests themselves are listed as not covered — only the hearing aid is. Terms can be updated, so it's worth confirming directly with the Society before you book.

Can I combine this with the PRSI hearing aid grant?

Generally yes — these membership schemes are separate from the state PRSI Treatment Benefit scheme and are designed to work alongside it, with the aid benefit often calculated after any PRSI contribution. Check with each provider for exactly how the current calculation works.

How do I get an invoice these schemes will accept?

Book a hearing test and hearing aid consultation with a qualified, independent audiologist. They can carry out the assessment and provide the invoice you'll need to make a claim with your society and, separately, with PRSI.