A yearly opportunity to look beyond today’s problem and protect your independence
Once you turn 75, Medicare supports a dedicated Older Person’s Health Assessment through your GP.
You may hear this called a 75+ Health Assessment.
It is different from a normal appointment for a cough, prescription or sore knee. The purpose is to look more broadly at your health, mobility, medicines, memory, mood, support at home and the things that help you remain independent.
Eligible patients can generally have this Medicare-supported assessment once every 12 months.
The value is not simply finding disease.
Sometimes the most useful outcome is identifying a small problem before it becomes a bigger one.
Who is eligible?
Under current Medicare rules, the Older Person’s Health Assessment is available to Medicare-eligible people who are:
- 75 years or older
- living in the community rather than being an inpatient in hospital or receiving care in a residential aged care facility
Eligible patients can generally receive the assessment once every 12 months.
People living in residential aged care use a different Medicare assessment pathway.
Why have an assessment if I already see my GP regularly?
Because routine appointments are often driven by the problem that brought you through the door.
You may spend an appointment discussing arthritis, blood pressure or a prescription and never quite get around to asking:
- Am I becoming less steady on my feet?
- Are all these medicines still necessary?
- Am I hearing well enough?
- Have I missed any vaccinations?
- Is my memory changing?
- Am I struggling more at home?
- Who would help me if I became unwell?
A 75+ Health Assessment creates time to look at these issues together.
The Medicare requirements specifically focus on physical, psychological and social function, as well as preventive care that could help maintain or improve health and independence.
What does the assessment include?
Every assessment is individual, but current Medicare requirements include several core areas.
Blood pressure, pulse and circulation
Your blood pressure, pulse rate and heart rhythm should be assessed.
This can sometimes identify problems such as:
- poorly controlled blood pressure
- a pulse that is unusually slow or fast
- an irregular heart rhythm that may need further assessment
The assessment is not intended to replace appropriate investigation if you already have concerning symptoms.
Your medicines
Medicines become increasingly important as we get older.
Your GP or practice team may review:
- what you are taking
- whether you are actually taking it
- why each medicine was prescribed
- possible side effects
- duplicated medicines
- interactions
- whether monitoring is due
Bring a medication list if your practice may not have a complete one.
That includes:
- prescription medicines
- over-the-counter products
- vitamins
- supplements
- medicines prescribed by specialists
An accurate list is more useful than a list that looks tidy but no longer reflects what you actually take.
Falls, balance and physical function
A fall can be a major turning point in later life.
The assessment therefore considers your physical function, including everyday activities and whether you have fallen in the previous three months.
Your GP or nurse may ask about:
- falls or near-falls
- walking
- balance
- getting up from a chair
- stairs
- exercise
- weakness
- dizziness
- vision
- footwear
- mobility aids
Sometimes a fall is simply an accident.
But recurrent falls can also be related to medicines, low blood pressure, poor vision, muscle weakness, balance problems or other medical conditions.
Finding the reason matters more than simply telling someone to “be careful”.
How well are you managing everyday activities?
Health is not only about diagnoses and blood-test results.
The assessment also looks at activities of daily living.
That might include how easily you can:
- shower and dress
- prepare food
- shop
- manage medications
- move around your home
- manage household tasks
- use transport
- handle day-to-day responsibilities
Needing some help does not automatically mean you are losing independence.
Sometimes a small amount of support, home modification, physiotherapy or occupational therapy can help someone remain independent for much longer.
Memory and thinking
The assessment includes consideration of cognition, which means memory, thinking and other mental abilities.
You may be asked whether you or your family have noticed:
- increasing forgetfulness
- repeated questions
- difficulty organising medicines or bills
- getting lost
- trouble following conversations
- changes in judgement
- difficulty performing familiar tasks
Occasional forgetfulness is common and does not automatically mean dementia.
Memory can also be affected by:
- poor sleep
- depression or anxiety
- medicines
- alcohol
- hearing problems
- physical illness
If there is genuine concern, your GP may arrange a more detailed assessment.
Mood and emotional wellbeing
Mental wellbeing matters at every age.
The Medicare assessment specifically includes psychological function, including mood.
Older people can experience:
- depression
- anxiety
- grief
- loneliness
- loss of confidence
- adjustment after illness
- stress from caring for someone else
These problems are sometimes overlooked because symptoms are blamed on ageing.
Feeling persistently depressed or anxious is not simply an inevitable part of getting older.
Continence
Bladder or bowel problems can be embarrassing to discuss, but they are common and often treatable or manageable.
Continence is specifically included in the Medicare requirements for the assessment.
Tell your GP if you have problems such as:
- urinary leakage
- needing to rush to the toilet
- getting up repeatedly overnight
- difficulty emptying your bladder
- constipation
- bowel leakage
You do not need to wait until the problem becomes severe.
Vaccinations and preventive care
Your immunisation status should also be reviewed.
What is recommended depends on your health, previous vaccinations and current Australian immunisation guidance.
The assessment is also a useful opportunity to check whether other preventive care is still appropriate, such as cancer screening, bone health or cardiovascular risk assessment.
The usefulness of screening changes with age, health, previous results and life expectancy, so preventive care should be individualised rather than automatically continuing every test indefinitely.
Your social situation matters
One of the most useful parts of the 75+ assessment is something ordinary consultations can miss: how you are actually managing at home.
Medicare specifically requires consideration of social function, including whether you have adequate paid or unpaid help and whether you are caring for someone else.
Your GP may ask about:
- who you live with
- family or friends nearby
- help with shopping or housework
- transport
- caring responsibilities
- whether you feel isolated
- whether you are struggling to manage at home
These are health issues too.
A medication change cannot fix every problem.
Sometimes the intervention that matters most is practical support.
Does a nurse do the assessment?
Often, a practice nurse helps.
Current Medicare rules allow practice nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners to assist the GP with parts of a health assessment under appropriate supervision.
This can include collecting information and helping provide information about recommended interventions.
This means an assessment may involve:
- time with a nurse collecting measurements and information
- review with your GP, who considers the findings and recommendations
The GP remains responsible for the health assessment.
This team approach can be particularly useful because it gives the practice more time to look beyond the immediate medical problem.
How long does it take?
There is no single fixed appointment length.
Medicare uses different health-assessment items depending on how much time and complexity are involved.
Some assessments are relatively brief. Others may take 45–60 minutes or longer when there are several health, medication, mobility or support issues to review.
Someone who is active, independent and taking few medicines may require less time than someone managing multiple conditions, many medicines, falls and increasing support needs.
Do I get anything afterwards?
The assessment should be recorded.
Current Medicare requirements also say you should be offered a written report containing recommendations arising from the assessment.
With your agreement, relevant information may also be provided to a carer when appropriate.
The recommendations might include:
- follow-up with your GP
- blood tests or other investigations
- vaccination
- medicine review
- exercise or strength work
- falls-prevention measures
- hearing or vision assessment
- community support
- allied health referral
- further memory or mood assessment
A good assessment should lead to action where action is needed.
Is this the same as a care plan?
No.
A 75+ Health Assessment is primarily a broad preventive assessment of health and function.
A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan is designed to help manage one or more chronic or terminal medical conditions and may support Medicare-subsidised allied health referrals.
Some patients benefit from both.
One should not simply be used as a substitute for the other.
A common misconception
MYTH: The 75+ Health Assessment is mainly for frail or unwell people.
REALITY: You do not need to be frail to benefit.
In fact, one of the best times to identify changes in balance, medicines, memory, vaccination or support needs is before they have caused a major problem.
For someone who is doing very well, the assessment may simply confirm that most things are on track.
That is still useful.
Questions patients commonly ask
Do I have to wait until I am 75?
Yes, for this particular Medicare health-assessment pathway.
Other Medicare-supported health assessments exist for different eligible groups.
Can I have one every year?
Generally, yes.
An eligible person aged 75 or older can receive this assessment once every 12 months.
Can my family come with me?
Yes, if you want them involved.
A family member or carer can sometimes provide valuable information, particularly when there are concerns about memory, medications or support at home.
But your consent and preferences remain important.
Will I need lots of blood tests?
Not necessarily.
The assessment is not a licence to order every possible test.
Investigations should be based on your symptoms, medical history, medicines, risk factors and what is likely to change your care.
How to prepare
You do not need to do much.
If possible, bring or think about:
- your current medicines
- any recent falls
- new problems with walking or balance
- concerns about memory
- bladder or bowel problems
- hearing or vision difficulties
- vaccinations you may have received elsewhere
- changes in your ability to manage at home
- any support you or your carer may need
Most importantly, mention the things you are actually worried about.
The assessment should not become so focused on a checklist that your main concern gets lost.
Start with one question
If you are 75 or older and have not had a health assessment in the past year, ask your practice:
“Am I due for my 75+ Health Assessment?”
The bottom line
The 75+ Health Assessment is a yearly opportunity to look beyond individual illnesses and consider how you are functioning overall.
It checks areas such as:
- blood pressure and pulse
- medicines
- falls and mobility
- daily function
- memory
- mood
- continence
- vaccinations
- support at home
The goal is not to prove that something is wrong.
It is to help answer:
- What is going well?
- What may be starting to change?
- What can we do now to help you stay healthy and independent?
Related Q Guides
Important information
This guide provides general health information and does not replace personalised medical advice. Speak with your GP or healthcare professional about recommendations appropriate to your medical history and circumstances.