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UPDATED: Train connections between Austria and Italy suspended due to coronavirus requirements

As of Friday, train services between Austria and Italy will be significantly disrupted - and in some cases even cancelled.

Published: 11 December 2020 17:15 CET
UPDATED: Train connections between Austria and Italy suspended due to coronavirus requirements
Photo: ALEX HALADA / AFP

Significant restrictions have been placed on train services between Austria and Italy from Friday. 

On the 11th and 12th of December there will be no long distance rail between the two countries, ORF reports. 

According to Austria's federal railway authority (ÖBB) “all EC and RJ connections to and from Italy must therefore be canceled for two days without replacement and cannot be used in replacement rail services.”

“We ask our passengers to switch to regional transport connections or other means of transport on these two days.”

EXPLAINED: How Austria is making train travel safer this Christmas

The reason for the suspension is the new official coronavirus requirements of Italy. 

Additional controls on Italy-bound trains

From Sunday, December 13th, fever and temperature controls are set to be put into place, along with a requirement of a negative coronavirus test upon arrival in Italy. 

The test should come in the 48 hours before you travel. 

More information can be found here. 

Disruptions continue from Sunday, December 13th

As a result, the ÖBB will offer a reduced number of services to and from Italy. 

According to official information distributed by the ÖBB, the following services will still be running from Sunday. 

The EC 80 via the Brenner Pass, from Verona at 11:01 a.m., via Innsbruck from 2:40 p.m. to Munich at 4:26 p.m. and in the opposite direction to the EC 89, Munich from 1:33 p.m., to Bologna at 8 p.m. 

The EC 80 only runs between Munich and Verona. All other EC trains on this route will be shortened to Innsbruck. The RJX 184-185 to Bozen is still on its way to plan. Local transport in Tyrol is also on schedule.

On the route Vienna Hbf-Villach-Venice RJ 131, Vienna from 06:25, Venice at 14.14 and in the opposite direction RJ 130, Venice from 15:52, Vienna at 23:35.

The RJ 132 and 133 trains are no longer available between Villach and Venice. The MICOTRA regional trains from Villach to Udine and Trieste are running as scheduled.

We ask all of our travellers when traveling to Italy to comply with the legal requirements of Italy and to carry a negative Corona test with them.

More information about available services can be accessed here. 

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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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