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Austria plans ‘mass tests’ to help exit coronavirus lockdown

Austria is planning "mass testing" for coronavirus to help chart a way out of the second lockdown which comes into force next week, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday.

Published: 15 November 2020 17:20 CET
Austria plans 'mass tests' to help exit coronavirus lockdown
Coronavirus test samples in Vienna on September 19, 2020. ALEX HALADA / AFP

Referring to a controversial mass testing programme in neighbouring Slovakia, Kurz told public broadcaster ORF that “we have decided here in Austria… to take a similar step”.

In Slovakia, two-thirds of the population were tested two weeks ago, with just over one percent testing positive.

On Saturday Kurz announced Austria was toughening its anti-coronavirus restrictions, shutting schools and shops from Tuesday until December 6 to get spiralling numbers of infections under control and urging Austrians to avoid all social contacts.

On Sunday Kurz said mass testing could help the country re-open in December, but it was not clear if the testing programme would be on the same scale as in Slovakia.

“We want to deploy mass tests at the end of the lockdown in order to enable a safe re-opening in schools and other areas,” Kurz said, adding that in the first instance testing would be focused on groups such as teachers.

He appeared to suggest the programme could then be widened to other groups in the population to make Christmas celebrations as safe as possible.

“We know it's something close to many people's hearts to be able to celebrate in a half decent way with at least a small number of their loved ones,” Kurz said.

He said that more details of the programme would be given next week.

READ MORE: Lower Austria rolls out free rapid coronavirus testing

The programme in Slovakia has involved the use of antigen tests. They give far quicker results than PCR tests, which involve nasal swabs that have to be sent to a laboratory, but they are less reliable.

Kurz said that the advent of antigen tests meant “we finally have the possibility of buying millions of tests”, although he admitted that rolling out a large testing programme would be a  “logistical challenge”.

Kurz himself has faced criticism for failing to take tougher action earlier in the autumn when coronavirus infections began to spike.

A partial lockdown was imposed two weeks ago in which non-essential shops were allowed to stay open but this failed to halt the spread of the virus.

The nation of 8.8 million escaped relatively lightly during the first wave of the pandemic but the health system has started to come under strain in the second wave.

Sunday's new infection figure of 5,665 was lower than in recent days, with the number of active infections actually decreasing for the first time since October 2.

But the number of patients in intensive care has gone up by 30 per cent in a week and is now at almost 600. A total of 1,829 people have died after contracting the coronavirus in Austria.

READ MORE:

Everything you need to know about Austria’s coronavirus shutdown

EXPLAINED: How will Vienna’s shipping container rapid testing plan work?

 

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HEALTH

How much can you expect to pay for private healthcare in Vienna?

In recent years, the number of public doctors in Vienna has fallen. As a result, many people have turned to private care. But how much can you expect to pay?

Published: 21 May 2024 10:38 CEST
How much can you expect to pay for private healthcare in Vienna?

In Austria, private healthcare works alongside the public healthcare system. If you want private care, you typically need to sign up for private healthcare insurance or pay out of pocket initially and later seek reimbursement.

The cost of private healthcare in Vienna can vary depending on factors such as the type of treatment, the provider, and insurance coverage. In general, private healthcare services tend to be significantly more expensive than the services provided by the public system.

Private healthcare insurance 

The monthly cost for private healthcare insurance in Vienna averages around €30 for children and between €45 and €100 for adults.

The cost is determined by your age, health status, and anticipated healthcare needs. When you apply for private insurance, your health and medical history are usually examined.

Signing up for private healthcare insurance at an early age often means lower costs. Existing health insurance contracts are adjusted annually for inflation only, without further adjustments.

UNIQA, Wiener Städtische, Generali Health Insurance, Mercury, Allianz Health Insurance, and the Danube are among the largest and best-known providers of private healthcare insurance in Vienna.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is a Wahlartzt in Austria?

How does it work?

Every policy is different, but most private insurance work with the public companies, especially since most workers in Austria are insured with one of the public companies via their work or employment – with the majority of them insured by ÖGK.

When you go to an elective doctor in Austria, you will pay out of pocket for your appointment. Later, you’ll need to ask for reimbursement from your compulsory public insurance company. Once you receive confirmation of the reimbursement,  you’ll send all documents (including doctor fees and the public reimbursement) to your private insurance, which will pay the difference between what you paid at the doctor and what you got back from your public insurance.

This is typically done online and could even be partially automated, with doctors sending their fees and payment notes directly to public insurance.

Pay out-of-pocket

If you do not want to sign up for private healthcare insurance, you can stay with your public one, pay out of pocket if you need private services, and later receive a partial reimbursement. 

In general, a visit to a private practitioner costs between €80 and €120, and a visit to a specialist (orthopaedist, dermatologist, cardiologist) between €150 and €200 in the Austrian capital.

The amount of money you can get back if you go to a private doctor varies depending on several factors, including your health insurance company and the specific services provided by the doctor.

For example, with the most common public insurance, Österreichische Gesundheitskasse, ÖGK, around 80 percent of the amount that ÖGK would have spent if the doctor was linked to the public system is reimbursed. It is important to note that this does not correspond to 80 percent of your medical bill but to 80 percent of what ÖGK would have paid for your treatment at a public doctor, which is significantly lower than the amount listed on your bill.

Fewer public doctors in Vienna

In Vienna, there has recently been a decrease in the number of public doctors and an increase in the number of private ones.

Experts believe the reasons are stressful working conditions and limited numbers of contracts for doctors with public healthcare insurance. Public doctors are said not to take enough time for each patient, as the number of patients determines the profit. 

Over the past six years, the increase in private doctors has been particularly notable for doctors specialising in dermatology (rising from 58 percent to 71 percent) and urology (increasing from 55 percent to 62 percent).

READ NEXT: Healthcare in Austria: Why are there fewer ‘public’ doctors?

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