Ed,

Heart disease is Australia’s leading cause of death and tragically takes the life of one Australian every 30 minutes. 

The good news is, heart disease is largely preventable.

The bad news? Our best tool for heart disease prevention – the Medicare Heart Health Check – is about to expire.

We are seeking a guarantee from the Australian Government that funding will continue beyond 30 June this year.

Nearly 440,000 Australians have seen their GP for a Medicare subsidised Heart Health Check since they were introduced.

The Heart Foundation is asking the Government to invest $11.5 million per year, to continue subsidising Heart Health Checks into the future.

This is a relatively small investment compared to the $1 billion in healthcare costs that could be saved with broad uptake of Heart Health Checks in high-risk Australians and more importantly, the 67,000 heart attacks, strokes and heart disease related deaths that could be prevented over five years.

It’s not too late for your readers to take action: I urge you to please help us save Medicare Heart Health Checks by signing our petition, writing to local MPs and sharing the petition with friends and family.

To take action, please visit www.heartfoundation.org.au/save-heart-checks

David Lloyd

Chief Executive Officer

National Heart Foundation of Australia