A 715 Health Check is a yearly Medicare-funded health assessment designed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages. It gives you dedicated time with your GP to look at your health more broadly — to talk through concerns, catch risks early, and put together a plan that actually fits your life.
At Shire Family Medical, care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients is approached with genuine respect for culture, family, community and connection to Country. A 715 isn’t a form to get through or a box to tick. It’s a longer, more relaxed appointment where you’re in charge of the conversation — and where your GP can see the full picture rather than just the reason you booked.
This article explains what the check may involve, who can access one, and how it supports preventive care, chronic disease management, mental health, immunisations and referrals.
What Is a 715 Health Check?
The “715” refers to the Medicare Benefits Schedule item number for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Assessment. It’s an annual appointment that’s funded separately from a standard GP visit — meaning it’s designed to go deeper, cover more ground, and take the time that a regular appointment often doesn’t allow.
Depending on your age, health history and what’s on your mind, the check might cover physical health, emotional wellbeing, lifestyle, family history, medications, immunisations, chronic disease risk, and any concerns you want to raise. Nothing is compulsory. You guide the conversation.
The focus shifts across different life stages. For a child, that might mean growth, development, hearing, immunisations and family concerns. For an adult, it often looks at blood pressure, diabetes risk, heart health, kidney function, smoking, alcohol, mental health or screening. For an older person, the check might also explore mobility, falls risk, memory, social support and care coordination.
Who Can Have a 715 Health Check?
A 715 Health Check is for people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. You can let the clinic know at any time — during booking, at reception, or when you’re with your GP. There’s no threshold to meet and no documentation required.
Eligible patients can usually have one assessment each year. The information you share about your identity is kept confidential, and it helps the team offer the right care, connect you to appropriate Medicare-funded services, and support any follow-up you may need.
Shire Family Medical’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health page outlines the full range of support available at the practice, including annual health assessments, chronic disease care, immunisations, mental health support and referral coordination.
Why the 715 Health Check Matters
A lot of health conditions — high blood pressure, diabetes, early kidney disease, elevated cholesterol — can develop quietly over years without obvious symptoms. By the time something feels wrong, there’s already ground to make up. A yearly health check creates a regular moment to look for those things before they become bigger problems.
Beyond the clinical side, a 715 also gives you more time. Standard GP appointments are short. There’s rarely space to talk through lifestyle, family history, mental health, and three different symptoms in a single visit. The 715 is designed for exactly that kind of broader conversation.
Your GP can use the appointment to:
- Identify health risks early, including heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease
- Review symptoms that might not have come up in a shorter appointment
- Check that immunisations and preventive screening are up to date
- Support ongoing management of existing conditions
- Discuss mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Review medications and treatment plans
- Coordinate referrals or arrange a care plan where needed
- Support access to culturally appropriate services
What Happens During the Appointment?
The check usually starts with a conversation. Your GP or practice nurse will ask about your general health, any symptoms you’ve noticed, your medications, lifestyle, family history and how you’ve been feeling. From there, the appointment shapes itself around what’s relevant to you.
It may include some or all of the following:
- Blood pressure measurement
- Height, weight or other physical measurements where relevant
- Discussion of smoking, alcohol, sleep, nutrition and physical activity
- Review of immunisation status
- Assessment of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease
- Emotional wellbeing and mental health discussion
- Review of medications and existing conditions
- Screening reminders based on age, symptoms and history
- Blood tests or urine tests if clinically appropriate
- Referrals or care planning if needed
The appointment should feel like a discussion, not a checklist. You can ask questions, bring a support person, and let the team know if there are topics you’re not ready to get into. There’s no pressure to cover everything in one go.
Children and Young People
For children and teenagers, a 715 can help keep a clear picture of how they’re growing and developing. The check might look at growth measurements, hearing and vision, immunisations, sleep, behaviour, school, nutrition and broader family wellbeing. Parents and carers often use the time to ask about things that have been sitting in the back of their mind — asthma, allergies, feeding, development or concerns about emotional health.
If vaccinations are due, overdue or uncertain, Shire Family Medical’s Children’s Immunisations & Vaccinations service handles scheduled vaccines, catch-up planning and reporting to the Australian Immunisation Register.
Adults and Preventive Health
For adults, one of the most useful things a 715 does is give your GP a chance to look at risk factors that build slowly and silently. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney function, weight, sleep and stress often don’t announce themselves. A yearly check creates a chance to stay ahead of them.
Depending on your age, sex, symptoms and history, your GP may also discuss preventive screening — cervical screening, bowel cancer screening, breast health, skin checks or other relevant programs.
Our related article on what to ask your GP at a health check has practical ideas for preparing questions around screening, blood tests, heart health, vaccinations and preventive care.
Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
If you’re living with a chronic condition — or your GP has raised concerns about diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, high blood pressure or mental health — a 715 Health Check gives dedicated time to review how things are going.
Is treatment working? Are there symptoms worth investigating further? Would a care plan or specialist referral help? The health check is often where those questions get properly worked through, rather than squeezed into the end of a shorter visit.
Follow-up matters here. The check is usually the start of a plan, not the conclusion of one.
Mental Health and Social Wellbeing
Health is never just physical. Grief, stress, sleep, family pressure, housing, work, isolation, trauma, cultural safety, community connection — all of these affect how a person is actually doing, even when blood tests look fine.
A 715 Health Check can include a genuine conversation about emotional wellbeing, anxiety, low mood, alcohol or substance use, and whether any extra support would help. You don’t need the right words or a clear diagnosis to bring something up. Saying “I haven’t been feeling like myself lately” or “things have been harder than usual” is enough to start the conversation. Your GP can help work out the next step from there.
What To Bring to the Appointment
The more information you can bring, the more your GP can work with — but if you don’t have everything, don’t let that stop you from booking. The team can work with whatever’s available and help fill in gaps along the way.
Useful things to bring if you have them:
- Your Medicare card
- A list of current medications and supplements
- Recent test results or letters from specialists
- Immunisation records if available
- Questions or symptoms you want to discuss
- Family health history if you know it
- A support person, family member or carer if you’d like one there
What Happens After the Health Check?
Depending on what comes up, your GP may recommend follow-up blood or urine tests, immunisations, screening, a medication review, specialist referrals or a formal care plan. Some things can be organised during the appointment itself; others need a follow-up visit once results are back.
If tests are arranged, they should be reviewed properly — not just noted and filed. Our article on what happens after blood test results explains how pathology is interpreted in context and why follow-up is an important part of the process.
If a referral is appropriate, your GP can help connect you with specialists, allied health providers or Aboriginal health services in the area.
Confidentiality and Identifying at the Clinic
Some people feel hesitant about identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in a healthcare setting — whether because of past experiences, concerns about privacy, or uncertainty about how the information will be handled.
Your health information is confidential and protected under Australian privacy law. Identifying yourself at the clinic helps the team offer the right care and access the Medicare-funded services you’re entitled to. It doesn’t affect how you’re treated, and it doesn’t go anywhere without your knowledge.
You’re always welcome to ask how your information is recorded and what it’s used for.
A Health Check Built Around You
A 715 isn’t about getting through a checklist. It’s a chance to slow down and review your health in a way that respects who you are, what matters to you, and what kind of support makes sense for your life right now.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in Sutherland and across the Sutherland Shire, Shire Family Medical provides respectful, culturally aware GP care — including annual 715 Health Assessments, preventive health support, chronic disease management, immunisations and referral coordination.
👉 Learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health at Shire Family Medical
Frequently Asked Questions
A 715 Health Check is a yearly Medicare-funded health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages. It provides dedicated time with a GP to review physical health, emotional wellbeing, lifestyle factors, immunisations, chronic disease risk and any concerns the patient wants to raise. The “715” refers to the relevant Medicare Benefits Schedule item number.
A 715 Health Check is available to people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. There is no documentation required to access one. Patients can let the clinic know of their identity at any point — during booking, at reception or during the appointment — and this information is kept confidential.
Eligible patients can usually access a 715 Health Check once every year under Medicare. Your GP or the clinic team can confirm timing based on your previous health assessments and Medicare eligibility.
Your GP or nurse will discuss your medical history, symptoms, medications, immunisations, lifestyle factors, mental health and chronic disease risk. Physical measurements such as blood pressure may be taken. Blood or urine tests and referrals may be arranged if clinically appropriate. The appointment is a conversation, not a strict protocol — patients can raise concerns, ask questions and bring a support person.
Yes. A 715 Health Check is available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages, from babies through to older adults. For children and teenagers, the check typically focuses on growth, development, hearing, immunisations, nutrition, sleep and family wellbeing. The specific focus adjusts based on age and individual health needs.
Yes. You are welcome to bring a family member, friend, carer or support person to your 715 Health Check. Having someone you trust with you can make the appointment more comfortable and help you remember what was discussed afterwards.
Medicare funds the 715 Health Assessment separately from a standard GP consultation. Whether the appointment is bulk billed depends on the individual practice. Contact the clinic directly to confirm billing arrangements before your appointment.
This article provides general health information only. It is not a substitute for personalised medical advice and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Any treatment, test, procedure or vaccination mentioned is for illustrative purposes only — suitability depends on individual circumstances and assessment by a qualified health professional. Medical information can change; always speak with your GP about your specific symptoms, health history and care options. In an emergency, call 000.