Fed: Senior citizens line up for voluntary medicals

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2000
Fed: Senior citizens line up for voluntary medicals

Health Minister MICHAEL WOOLDRIDGE says more than 20,000 older Australians have lined
up for a voluntary medical examination, heading off some serious illnesses in the process.

Dr WOOLDRIDGE says the government's new voluntary health assessments for senior citizens
have been a resounding success.

The voluntary medicals for people aged over 75 and for Aborigines aged over 55 came
into operation last November as part of a number of new Medicare Benefits Schedule items.

Dr WOOLDRIDGE says some of the people have avoided serious and debilitating problems
that, in the past, may have gone undetected.

The new MBS items were the centrepiece of a federal government package which was displayed
at an international primary health care conference in Melbourne today.

The package also includes education and support for GPs, coordinated care trials, chronic
disease self-management initiatives and fall prevention schemes for older people.

AAP RTV daw/mfh/msk/jn

KEYWORD: MEDICALS (CANBERRA)

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