Australians achieve record 300,000 Heart Health Check milestone

With Australians having passed a milestone number of life-saving Medicare-subsidised Heart Health Checks, propelled in part by the recent and unfortunate heart events impacting high-profile people, the Heart Foundation is urging people to maintain and build on the record-level of wellness scans.

New Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data for May 2022 shows that Australians have now had more than 309,000 Medicare subsidised Heart Health Checks with their GPs since the item was introduced in 2019.

More than 10% of those checks have occurred since March this year following a spate of tragic heart events affecting high-profile Australians. The Heart Foundation also ran a national education and awareness campaign during Heart Week in May to encourage Australians to book in their check.

The Heart Foundation is now calling on Australians to continue their record-breaking heart health efforts. Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Garry Jennings AO, said anyone aged 45 or over (or from 30 years for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people) should have a regular Heart Health Check.

Professor Jennings advised “it is great to hit this milestone but there are over 8 million people who are eligible for a check.

“Our message to those Australians is that heart disease is progressive, and its symptoms rarely show before it’s too late. A Medicare subsidised Heart Health Check takes just 20 minutes and could help add years to your life as an important first step towards a healthier heart.”

Professor Jennings forecast that demand for Heart Health Checks might increase further as Australians resumed their routine, preventative health check-ups, stating “at this rate, we could well reach our target of 450,000 Medicare subsidised Heart Health Checks by the middle of 2023.

“This just reiterates the need for Government to ensure that Heart Health Checks will be permanently subsidised by Medicare beyond its June 2023 expiry date, especially after several years of people putting off their health due to the pandemic.”

Milestone comes as Heart Foundation leads national cholesterol discussion
The Heart Health Check milestone comes as the Heart Foundation this week turns its focus to the topic of cholesterol when it hosts the National Cholesterol Roundtable in Canberra today, with leading experts from the sector.

Professor Jennings added “we know that high cholesterol continues to be a leading cause of many cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.

“The purpose of the roundtable is to get the sector together with the view of agreeing on a national action plan to improve screening and treatment of high cholesterol.

“Prevention really is the best cure. We want more people to be curious about what is going on inside their bodies. A Heart Health Check is a great way to learn more about your own cholesterol levels.

“Following a Heart Health Check your GP will help you manage your cholesterol levels with a range of treatment options, including support to change your lifestyle and a range of medications.”

To learn more about Medicare subsidised Heart Health Checks go to www.heartfoundation.org.au