Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check
MBS item 715: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment
Checked against the MBS in force from . Fee current from .
Changing on : its wording says “residential care home” in place of “residential aged care facility”.
Click here to learn what’s changing in the November 2026 MBS update
Changing on : an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child can have it as well as the new Medicare Healthy Kids Check at age 3. Healthy Kids Check guide
Item 715 pays a GP for a health assessment of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient, with a documented health plan and an offered written report. The schedule fee is $254.10, and the Medicare benefit is 100% of it ($254.10).
Also written as Indigenous health check, ATSI health check, and First Nations health check.
- Schedule fee
- $254.10
- Medicare benefit (100%)
- $254.10
- Consult the same day
- Only if distinct
Official MBS wording
Professional attendance by a general practitioner, at consulting rooms or in a place other than a hospital or a residential aged care facility: (a) for a health assessment of a patient who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; and (b) that includes the following: (i) recognising the patient’s health priorities; (ii) taking the patient’s medical history; (iii) undertaking any relevant physical examinations; (iv) undertaking or arranging any required investigations; (v) assessing the patient using the information gained in the health assessment; (vi) initiating any necessary interventions and referrals; (vii) developing and documenting a plan to manage the patient’s health, including for follow‑up, based on the health assessment and the patient’s priorities; (viii) offering the patient (or the patient’s carer (if any) if the practitioner considers it appropriate and the patient agrees) a written report of the health assessment, with recommendations on matters covered by the health assessment and a strategy for the patient’s good health; (ix) if the offer referred to in subparagraph (viii) is accepted—giving the report to the patient or the patient’s carer (as applicable); (x) adding a record of the health assessment to the patient’s medical records Applicable only if a service to which this item or item 228, 92004 or 92011 applies has not been provided to the patient in the preceding 9 months Note: For items 92004 and 92011, see the Telehealth Attendance Determination.
What to check before you bill item 715
Each line links to the MBS passage it comes from.
- By a GP (a non-VR doctor uses the prescribed medical practitioner version) Item 715
- In person (the video versions are separate) Item 715
- At the rooms or elsewhere, but not in a hospital or aged care facility Item 715
- The patient is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent Item 715
- Not a hospital in-patient AN.0.43
- Not an aged care resident (in person) AN.0.43
- Recognised the patient’s health priorities Item 715
- Took the patient’s medical history Item 715
- Did any relevant physical examinations Item 715
- Did or arranged any required investigations Item 715
- Assessed the patient using the information gathered Item 715
- Started any necessary interventions and referrals Item 715
- Developed and documented a plan to manage the patient’s health, based on the assessment and the patient’s priorities Item 715
- The plan includes follow-up Item 715
- Offered the patient (or carer) a written report with recommendations and a strategy for good health, and gave it if accepted Item 715
- Added a record of the assessment to the patient’s medical records Item 715
- The doctor saw the patient and is responsible for the service (nurses and health workers may only assist) AN.0.43
- The patient gave informed consent to the assessment AN.0.43
- You are the patient’s usual GP or practice, or it wasn’t reasonably practicable for them to see their usual GP AN.0.43
How often item 715 can be claimed
- Not within 9 months of another Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment (in person or by video, GP or non-VR doctor) Item 715
Billing item 715 with other items
With a consultation on the same day: only if it’s distinct. A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service AN.0.43
Can’t be billed with item 715
- 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) (item 11607)
- Not in association with a heart health check, a health assessment (including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check), a GP chronic condition management plan or its review, a contribution to a multidisciplinary care plan, or a case conference (including a cancer case conference) Item 11607
Only in some cases with item 715
- Acupuncture (items 193, 195, 197, and 199)
- A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service AN.0.43
- General consultation (all 153 items, including 4, 24, 37, 47, 124, and 5003)
- A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service AN.0.43
- Prolonged attendance on a patient in imminent danger of death (all 10 items, including 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, and 214)
- A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service AN.0.43
- Patient-end support for a specialist video consultation (all 32 items, including 2485, 2488, 2491, 2494, 2484, and 2487)
- A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service AN.0.43
- Urgent after-hours attendance (all 8 items, including 585, 599, 594, 588, 591, and 600)
- A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service AN.0.43
- Health assessment (75+, aged care, and other target groups) (all 8 items, including 701, 703, 705, 707, 224, and 225)
- An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient who is also in a target group (e.g. 75 or older) can have either assessment; the MBS lets a patient have each assessment they are eligible for and names no winner for one visit, so the doctor picks AN.0.36
- Practice nurse follow-up after a health check (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient) (items 10987, 93200, and 93202)
- Practice nurse service for a patient with a care plan (items 10997, 93201, and 93203)
- Not for a nurse’s or health practitioner’s help with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment (it is a complete service) AN.0.43
Can be billed with item 715
- Menopause health assessment (menopause and perimenopause) (items 695 and 19000)
- A separate time-tiered or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment too, with no minimum gap between them (the same time can’t count for both) AN.14.3
Bulk-billing incentive
An extra payment when a doctor bulk bills an unreferred service. With item 715, one of these:
| Item | What it is | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 10990 | Bulk billing incentive, other services (MM1 practice) | $8.80 |
| 10991 | Bulk billing incentive, other services (MM2 practice) | $13.35 |
| 75855 | Bulk billing incentive, other services (MM3–4 practice) | $14.10 |
| 75856 | Bulk billing incentive, other services (MM5 practice) | $15.10 |
| 75857 | Bulk billing incentive, other services (MM6 practice) | $15.85 |
| 75858 | Bulk billing incentive, other services (MM7 practice) | $16.95 |
Other versions
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check has 4 items. The others:
| Item | What it is | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 228 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check, PMP | $203.25 |
| 92004 | GP video Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander assessment | $254.10 |
| 92011 | PMP video Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander assessment | $203.25 |
What comes next
Often done at the same visit
- Kidney disease is common and often silent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults; a point-of-care urine albumin/creatinine ratio is a standard part of the adult health check where the service is in the QAAMS program. (items 66560 and 73844)
- Type 2 diabetes is often undiagnosed; a point-of-care HbA1c to diagnose diabetes in a high-risk patient without symptoms is standard at the health check where the service is in the QAAMS program. (items 66841 and 73839)
Where the MBS is unclear
- In person, the assessment isn’t available to aged care residents; by video it may be billed "in all community settings". Whether an aged care facility counts as a community setting isn’t said, so whether a resident can have the video version is unclear. AN.0.43
Common questions
- What is the fee for MBS item 715?
- The schedule fee is $254.10, and the Medicare benefit is 100% of it ($254.10). That’s under the MBS in force from 1 August 2026.
- Can item 715 be done by video or phone?
- No. In person (the video versions are separate).
- Who can bill item 715?
- By a GP (a non-VR doctor uses the prescribed medical practitioner version).
- How often can item 715 be claimed?
- Not within 9 months of another Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment (in person or by video, GP or non-VR doctor).
- Can item 715 be claimed on the same day as a consultation?
- Yes, if it’s distinct. A separate consult on the same day only if clinically necessary, as a distinct service.
- Can you bill 715 and 695 together?
- Yes. A separate time-tiered or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment too, with no minimum gap between them (the same time can’t count for both). (Source: MBS AN.14.3.)
- Can you bill 715 and 10987 together?
- Only in some cases. The practice nurse items can’t be claimed for a nurse’s or health practitioner’s help with this assessment (it is a complete service). (Source: MBS AN.0.43.)
- Can you bill 715 and 10997 together?
- Only in some cases. The practice nurse items can’t be claimed for a nurse’s or health practitioner’s help with this assessment (it is a complete service). (Source: MBS AN.0.43.)
- Can you bill 715 and 11607 together?
- No. Not in association with a heart health check, a health assessment (including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check), a GP chronic condition management plan or its review, a contribution to a multidisciplinary care plan, or a case conference (including a cancer case conference). (Source: MBS Item 11607.)
- What can’t item 715 be billed with?
- The MBS has a rule against billing item 715 with these: 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Each rule and its source is on this page.
- Can item 715 be billed with a bulk-billing incentive?
- Yes. An extra payment when a doctor bulk bills an unreferred service. The items are 10990, 10991, 75855, 75856, 75857, and 75858.
Sources
- Item 715: Group A14 Health Assessments
- Note AN.0.43: Health assessments for persons of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent (MBS Items 715, 228, 92004, 92011)
- Item 11607: Group D1 Miscellaneous Diagnostic Procedures And Investigations › Subgroup 5 Vascular
- Note AN.0.36: Time-Tiered Health Assessments (Items 701, 703, 705, 707, 224, 225, 226, 227)
- Note AN.14.3: Menopause and Perimenopause Health Assessments (MBS items 695 and 19000)
- Note MN.12.3: Follow up service provided on behalf of a medical practitioner for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who has received a health assessment (MBS Item 10987, 93200, 93202))
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