Medicare Healthy Kids Check to Launch for Three-Year-Olds on 1 November
29 Oct 2026
The new check is part of the Australian Government’s Thriving Kids initiative. GPs and prescribed medical practitioners can provide the assessment using Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) health assessment items 701–707 and 224–227. Each eligible child can receive the check once.
The assessment covers a child’s overall health, wellbeing and development. It includes developmental milestones, behaviour, family and social circumstances, as well as a basic physical examination.
Practitioners must document the assessment in the child’s medical record. Parents and carers must also be offered a written report explaining any recommended interventions or referrals.
Resources for families, patients and general practices are available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Thriving Kids website.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said GPs are often the first healthcare professionals parents approach when they have concerns about their child’s development. However, it stressed that identifying concerns must lead to timely access to appropriate services.
The AMA is calling on governments to provide the funding, workforce and referral pathways needed to support children identified through the check.
Its priorities include sustainable funding for GP-led developmental assessments, follow-up care and multidisciplinary services. It also wants faster, simpler referrals to allied health professionals, paediatricians and child psychiatrists.
The association is seeking fair access to services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, as well as those living in rural and remote communities.
Other priorities include investing in the general practice, paediatric and child and adolescent mental health workforce, providing appropriate education and support for healthcare professionals, and improving digital systems to support continuity of care.
Medicare Healthy Kids Check to Launch for Three-Year-Olds on 1 November
Source: Australian Medical Association (AMA).