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Health checks and follow-ups for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
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 Health checks and follow-ups for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (July 2024)
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible for an annual health check specifically tailored to their needs, funded through Medicare. This health check aims to identify common health conditions that disproportionately affect First Nations people, such as diabetes and heart disease, promoting early detection and preventive care.
During the health check, a General Practitioner (GP) or a multidisciplinary team led by a GP will assess the individual's physical,
psychological, and social wellbeing, providing necessary health-related information, advice and care. If required, the GP may also refer the person to other healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, podiatrists, or dietitians, for free follow-up care under a list of Medicare items specifically for First Nations people.
This report, updated biennially from 2024, presents the latest data and trends in the use of health checks and follow-up services, disaggregated by age, sex and geography. For the first time, it also presents exploratory analyses of the use of MBS items for chronic disease management among health check patients.
Key findings
- 28% of First Nations people (257,000 people) had a health check in 2023, compared with 23% in the 12 months from July 2021 to June 2022 (209,000 people). 29% of First Nations people (250,000 people) had a health check in 2019, which is the highest uptake seen so far.
- In 2023, First Nations females had higher uptake of annual health checks than males in most age groups, particularly those aged 25–34 (29% of females compared with 18% of males).
- Over the 5-year period from July 2018 to June 2023, about 576,000 First Nations people received at least one health check. This is
equivalent to over half (63%) of the projected First Nations population at 30 June 2023. - Among the patients who received a health check in 2022, 45% received a follow-up service in the 12 months following their health check (104,000 out of 228,000 patients). Patients aged 65–74 had the highest follow-up percentage, at 56%, and females had a higher follow-up percentage than males in every adult age group
