May 2022 Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data reveals Australians have had more than 309,000 Medicare-subsidised Heart Health Checks with their GP since the item’s introduction in 2019.
More than 10% of these checks occurred since March 2022.
The Heart Foundation is now calling on Australians to continue their record-breaking heart health efforts – anyone over the age of 45 (or from 30 years of age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) should have a regular Health Heart Check.
The Heart Foundation’s Chief Medical Advisor, Professor Garry Jennings AO, says Australians need to be aware that “heart disease is a progressive disease, and its symptoms rarely show before it’s too late”.
This is why a proactive approach – through Heart Health Check – is so important. These checks, says Professor Jennings, which take only 20 minutes, “could add years to your life”.
Professor Jennings predicts that demand for Medicare-subsidised Heart Health Checks will increase as more Australians take a preventative approach to their health.
“At this rate, we could well reach our target of 450,000 Medicare-subsidised Heart Health Checks by the middle of 2023,” Professor Jennings said.
“This reiterates the need for Government to ensure that Heart Health Checks [remain] permanently subsidised by Medicare beyond its June 2023 expiry date.”
National cholesterol discussion
The Heart Health Check milestone comes as the Heart Foundation turns its focus to cholesterol during the National Cholesterol Roundtable on 30 June.
High cholesterol is said to be a leading cause of many cardiovascular health issues, including heart attack and stroke.
The purpose of the roundtable, according to Professor Jennings, is for experts to agree on a “national action plan to improve screening and treatment of high cholesterol”.
One way for Australians to learn about their cholesterol levels is through a Heart Health Check, says Professor Jennings.
“Following a Heart Health Check your GP will help you manage your cholesterol levels with a range of treatment options,” Professor Jennings said.
These options include medication and lifestyle interventions.
