The partnership aims to deliver an additional 400,000 preventive health assessments across Australia over the next two years to reduce rates of heart disease.
Non-profit private health insurer Latrobe Health Services has partnered with Shane Warne Legacy and SisU Health to provide an additional 400,000 free health checks nationwide by 2026 through the Shane Warne Legacy Health Check program.
The insurer had dedicated part of its $5 million annual community investment over the next two years to scale up the program, which has already supplied more than 160,000 health checks at major sporting events and Priceline Pharmacies since November 2023.
The program has demonstrated significant success with 70% of recipients encouraged to improve their health and more than half undertaking tangible steps to do so after receiving the test.
In addition, the 2022 Gippsland Healthy Hearts Study assessing the benefits of 500 free health checks performed regionwide, led by La Trobe Health Services, found 86% of participants had one or more risk factors for heart disease.
Between 5000 and 10,000 free health checks are currently performed each month via the Shane Warne Legacy Health Check program across nearly 500 Priceline pharmacies nationwide.
Latrobe Health Services CEO Ian Whitehead said the insurer was committed to “making a real difference”, in particular for rural and regional Australians facing increasingly dire shortages of health workers and services.
“The sudden death of Shane Warne in 2022 was a reminder that too many Australians are unaware of health risks,” Mr Whitehead said.
“Through our partnership with Shane Warne Legacy, we are helping the community gain free access to important health checks for critical early detection and prevention.
“We are making a real difference in the lives of Australians.”
Updated 9:03 am 22 August 2024 to amend error in headline.