The 715 health check: the most undervalued MBS item on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander roster

Item 715 — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Assessment — funds an annual comprehensive health check for ATSI patients of any age, rebated at $238.85. It's the single most under-claimed Medicare item targeting one of the country's most under-served populations.

What it actually covers

An assessment of physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. Anthropometry, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk, diabetes screening, dental, hearing, immunisation review, smoking + alcohol, mental health, and a tailored preventive-care plan. The patient leaves with a written summary and follow-up plan.

Why uptake is low

Three factors. First, ATSI status isn't reliably recorded in clinical software — many practices simply don't know which of their patients qualify. Second, the assessment takes 25-40 minutes and most practices haven't structured a workflow for it. Third, patient awareness is low — many ATSI patients don't know the check exists, let alone that it's annual and fully bulk-billable.

The Closing the Gap pharmacy benefit

A completed 715 health check is the trigger for the Closing the Gap PBS co-payment scheme — eligible ATSI patients get reduced or zero co-payment on PBS medications for the next 12 months. For a diabetic patient on Metformin XR, that's the difference between $7.30 a month and $0. The 715 is the gate.

What changes with structured tooling

When the eligibility flag is in the patient's profile and the assessment template is pre-built, the check fits a 30-minute appointment slot. The patient sees their results and plan in their phone before they leave. Recall for next year is automatic.