Through Medicare, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can receive Indigenous‑specific health checks from their doctor, as well as referrals for Indigenous‑specific follow‑up services.
- In 2020–21, 237,000 Indigenous Australians had one of these health checks (27% of the projected population).
- The proportion of Indigenous health check patients who had an Indigenous‑specific follow‑up service within 12 months of their check increased from 12% to 47% between 2010–11 and 2019–20.
COVID‑19
The report presents data on Indigenous‑specific health checks and follow‑up services for a time period up until the end of June 2021 (i.e. overlapping with the COVID‑19 period). It also includes data on telehealth MBS items that were introduced in 2020 as part of the response to COVID‑19.