Medicare Funds New Heart Health Check From April 1st

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have both pledged to carry out Medicare-funded cardiovascular health checks that could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars after News Corp. Australia and the Heart Foundation have launched the #ShowSomeTicker campaign to stop heart disease. 51 people a day.

Mr. Morrison will announce today that as of April 1, Australians at risk of heart disease will be eligible for a multi-point cardiac checkup, which will prevent 76,500 heart attacks – including 9,900 deaths – and save $ 1.5 billion over the next few years. five years.

MORE: The majority of Australians at risk of heart attack

FOLLOW-UP: The issue of heart disease unites the two sides of politics

Medicare will provide $ 72.80 for half-hour service, during which a GP will check blood pressure, cholesterol, lifestyle factors, smoking status and family history of the patient, and then estimate his risk of heart attack over the next five years.

Those deemed at risk could take medication or be helped to change their lifestyle to better eat and do more exercise.

In addition, the Morrison Government will spend $ 220 million from its Medical Research Fund on research into heart disease and the discovery of new treatments.

Union leader Shorten praised our campaign and pledged to make heart disease a priority and provide the $ 170 million needed to fund the cardiac health check if he wins the election this year.

"My father died of a heart attack, so I know all too well the consequences of this terrible disease.

51 Australians will die of heart attack every day – it's too many moms, dads, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers.

"If we want to change that image, we need to invest in health checks – preventing heart attacks before it's too late. That's why I'm incredibly proud that the Labor Party gives all Australians at risk the opportunity to do a cardiac checkup. "

"Australia is a world leader in heart surgery and heart research – for example, Victor Chang, David Craddock, the Baker Institute – and it was time for us to be a world leader in prevention. heart disease.

"The" Show Some Ticker "campaign has done an incredible job in highlighting the leading cause of death and injury in Australia, and the Labor Party is proud to participate in the fight."

The bipartisan success, hailed by the Heart Foundation and also backed by the Greens, comes as a YouGov Galaxy Poll revealed that almost all Australian adults have at least one unhealthy habit or risk factor for heart attack, but only one in six people realize they are in danger.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, but unlike cancer, there is no national screening program and a government committee last year did not approve a preventive control.

A week ago, MASTHEAD partnered with the Heart Foundation to campaign for the government to fund a heart health check and six other measures to reduce the number of deaths from heart disease.

It's about: promoting access to life-saving cardiac rehabilitation programs; update physicians' instructions for cardiac checkups; fund a 10-year strategy to end rheumatic heart disease; create a national campaign on women and heart disease and another on tobacco; and establish a national nutrition strategy.

Prime Minister Morrison acknowledged the devastating nature of heart disease and said that "too many Australians die every year because of heart-related diseases."

"Starting April 1st, we will provide additional Medicare support for cardiovascular health badessments for every Australian who needs it," he said.

"My commitment to Australians is supported by our government's ability to manage a strong economy and generate a budget surplus. That's why we are able to support you right to the end and fund the essential health services that Australians need, "he said.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has backed his leader, adding, "Our government is deeply committed to fighting the deadliest in Australia, heart disease."

The government's additional funding for research – the Mission for Cardiovascular Health, which will last 10 years – will focus on prevention strategies, early detection, reduction in the number of hospitalizations, new drug therapies, clinical trials and personalized medicine, which use a patient's unique DNA to develop new treatments, uncover new biomarkers and understand individual risk of cardiovascular disease

The research will also examine why people who do not lead an unhealthy lifestyle or who have no genetic cause suffer from heart attacks. This includes young people.

The Greens also support the concept of cardiovascular health checks.

"We support public funding for an integrated health check, of which a cardiac checkup is an essential element," said Green leader Senator Richard Di Natale.

The Heart Foundation praised the considerable political support.

"A week ago, the Heart Foundation launched a compelling campaign in partnership with News Corp to remind Australians that heart disease is the leading cause of death in our country," said the Heart Foundation Board Chair, John Kelly.

"Despite the significant progress we've made in the last few decades, we're still losing 51 lives every day because of heart disease – and we could not stay there anymore and let things go. We had an incredible response, with over 135,000 Australians having completed our heart age calculator, and we now also benefit from bipartite support for an MBS article number dedicated to the controls. heart health.

"This is a remarkable achievement in such a short time, but this is just the beginning and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect hearts and save lives. The Heart Foundation celebrates its 60th anniversary today; what a nice birthday present for us and the Australian community. "

Dr. Harry Nespolon, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said the new Medicare funding for a heart health check was an essential step towards better preventive health care.

"The problem is that very few prevention activities are supported by Medicare," he said.

"It's much better to spend money to keep people from getting sick than to wait until they get sick."