At Next Practice Deakin, our Health Assessments are designed to provide a more complete picture of your health and help us work with you on a practical plan for prevention, early intervention and ongoing care.
Medicare health assessment items are available for specific eligible patient groups. These include, for example, people aged 75 years and older, people aged 45–49 years who are at risk of developing chronic disease, people aged 40–49 years at high risk of type 2 diabetes, people with an intellectual disability, refugees and humanitarian entrants, some veterans, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Eligibility and claiming rules depend on the type of assessment and your individual circumstances. Medicare describes health assessments as assessing a patient’s health, physical, psychological and social function.

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Your assessment may involve a GP and members of our nursing team. Depending on the assessment, this may include gathering information about your health history, arranging or reviewing relevant examinations or investigations, making an overall assessment, recommending interventions or referrals, and providing advice and information.

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For older people aged 75 years and over, a Medicare Health Assessment can usually be claimed once every 12 months if the patient is not an inpatient of a hospital or a care recipient in a residential aged care facility. This assessment may include review of blood pressure, pulse, medicines, continence, immunisation status, physical function, falls, cognition, mood, social supports and caring responsibilities.

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For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a 715 Health Assessment supports holistic care across the life course. It includes recognising the patient’s health priorities, taking a medical history, relevant examinations or investigations, initiating interventions or referrals, and developing a documented plan for follow-up. This assessment can generally be claimed once every 9 months for eligible patients.
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A Health Assessment is not just a “check-up”. It is an opportunity to pause, review your health in a structured way, discuss what matters to you, and plan the next steps in your care.

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