Health Checks

Overview

Objectives

Partners

Resources and Links

Contact Officer

Overview

Under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), the Australian Government provides a range of health assessments to maintain the population’s good health as a preventative measure, and for appropriate early intervention to prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease as required. This group of MBS Items is known as Group A14. Health assessments have been developed for a number of reasons; either as part of major Government initiatives including the:

• Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) with the introduction of the 45-49 (inclusive) year old health check
• Enhanced Primary Care Initiative that focuses on preventative care for older Australians and improved coordination of care for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs (hence the introduction of health assessments for people aged 75 + over and 55 + over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in recognition of their specific health needs).

Or, health assessments developed to focus on the complex health needs for specific community groups such as:

• Comprehensive Medical Assessment - health assessments for residents of Residential Aged Care Facilities
• Two Yearly Adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Check (for 15 to 54 year olds)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Health Check (0-14 years old)
• Health assessments for refugees and other humanitarian entrants to Australia
• Health checks to benefit people with intellectual disabilities.

An additional health check, the Diabetes Type 2 Risk Evaluation Item (713) was released by the Department in July 2008. This item is aimed at early detection of risk factors for diabetes (see Diabetes Type 2 Prevention Program for further details on this item).

All these items are aimed at the early detection of health risk factors and chronic disease, and are part of the growing focus on the promotion of good health and the prevention of chronic disease.

General Practice Tasmania (GPT) received funding from the Australian Government in 2007-08 for Health Checks activity.

Objectives

• Ensuring the appropriate provision of health services rebated under the health check items, and minimise the incorrect application of the items
• Improving the health outcomes for recipients of these items through increasing practice knowledge of:
• best practice chronic disease prevention and detection methods; and
  • flow-on activities post-health check aimed at reducing identified health risk factors among recipient patients and the management of any chronic conditions found as a result of application of the items.

Partners

General Practice Tasmania has partnerships with the following organisations:

• The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN)

• Other State Based Organisations (SBOs)

• Divisions of General Practice (DGPs) across Australia

• Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

• Tasmanian State Department of Health and Human Services

• Other non-government organisations and peak bodies involved in prevention and management of chronic conditions

Contact Officer