Free GP Heart Health Checks extended for three years

To help combat Australia’s biggest killer, heart disease, the federal government has secured funding for another three years of free checks. The free Heart Health Checks are available to Australians aged 30 years and older from their GP. “About 2.5 million Australians have a high chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke in the next five years, and many don’t know it,” Australia’s Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler said. “That’s why the Albanese government has secured the funding for this vital health check.”

The check takes less than 30 minutes with a GP and is designed by the government as “the nation’s best tool for diagnosis and prevention of heart disease”. After the check, GPs can work with patients to make changes to their lifestyle — or prescribe medicines to manage any identified risk of heart disease. Since the checks were first offered in 2019, more than 870,000 people have received one, with more than 200,000 checks completed in 2024. One Australian has a heart attack or stroke every four minutes.

Image credit: iStock.com/sturti