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EXPLAINED: How Austria is making train travel safer this Christmas

From more trains and a ‘new reservation model’, Austria has unveiled a new set of ‘anti-coronavirus measures’ to make Christmas travel safer.

Published: 11 December 2020 17:01 CET
EXPLAINED: How Austria is making train travel safer this Christmas
Will you travel by train this Christmas? Photo: ALEX HALADA / AFP

Austria’s national railway authority (ÖBB) has put in place a set of rules to be put in place over the festive season to minimise the spread of coronavirus. 

Over the Christmas period, a ‘new reservation model’ will be adopted, while more trains will be added, reports ORF. 

Masks have been required on all public transports and at all stations since September. 

New reservation model: ‘a chessboard’

According to the new reservation model, passengers on the trains will be better distributed in a manner which incorporates a greater amount of distance. 

Where a seat has been reserved, the seat next to it will be kept free – with a special notice telling people not to sit. 

The ÖBB said the model would resemble a chessboard, with free seats next to occupied seats. 

Understanding that making people stand in cramped areas may lead to an increased risk, the ÖBB has said that passengers will be allowed to sit if a train is full. 

“If a train is full and that is not possible due to the high number of passengers, you can also take these seats.”

Seat reservations will be available from December 18th to January 10th for one euro. 

More train services

In order to cater for the increased demand over the Christmas period, additional train services are set to be added. 

In total, this amounts to the addition of more than 10,000 seats per day, the ÖBB told ORF. 

The days when additional train services are set to be added are the 23rd, 24th, 27th of December, along with the 2nd and 3rd of January. 

The focus of the additional train services will be in and out of Vienna to the West and to the South. 

Restrictions remain on trips to Italy

Despite the additional services, restrictions on trains between Italy and Austria will continue to result in fewer services. 

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

According to ORF “all EC and RJ connections to and from Italy must be canceled for two days without replacement and cannot be used as replacement rail services.”

Passengers are advised to switch to regional train connections instead over the coming days. 

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

 

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HEALTH

When can I ask for reimbursement for medical expenses in Austria?

If you visit an 'elective doctor' in Austria or go for certain procedures and examinations, you might have to pay the costs upfront. But when will your statutory health insurance reimburse you?

Published: 14 June 2024 12:15 CEST
When can I ask for reimbursement for medical expenses in Austria?

Austria’s health system can seem complicated. Most people are insured by statutory insurance companies, ensuring they receive quality care for free in the country. 

However, there may be times when you want to go the private route – be it for specific examinations, or if you are searching for a particular specialist or, most commonly, if you just can’t or won’t wait to get an appointment via the public system. As the number of public doctors drops, more and more people have reached out to the “elective” doctors, or to private laboratories for certain exams instead of waiting weeks in the public system.

In those cases, the public health insurance funds often reimburse your expenses, at least partially. 

READ ALSO: Six things to know about visiting a doctor in Austria

When can I ask for reimbursement?

There are several cases when you can be reimbursed by Austria’s largest health insurance company, the ÖGK. These include:

  • Private or elective doctors: Elective doctors do not have a contract with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). You will therefore be treated there as a private patient and must initially pay for the treatment yourself. In most cases, ÖGK will reimburse part of the costs.
  • Dental Health: In addition to conservative dental treatment and dentures, the ÖGK dental services also include jaw adjustments (braces).
  • CT, MRI and x-rays: Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays are “diagnostic imaging procedures”. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) covers the costs if the examination is carried out at an authorized institute.
  • Therapists: the ÖGK will cover costs for speech therapy, physio therapy and psychotherapy, among others. You can read more HERE.
  • Midwives: Midwives support women during pregnancy, during childbirth and in the initial period afterwards. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) covers certain costs for the midwife.
  • Hospital stays: Persons insured with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) can receive outpatient or inpatient treatment in certain hospitals throughout Austria. The fund will not cover any special fees that are incurred for accommodation in “special class” (some hospitals offer private rooms as special class, for example). For medically necessary treatment in hospitals with which there is no contractual relationship,  ÖGK currently pays a daily care cost allowance of € 399.97, but not more than the actual costs incurred.
  • Medical aids and medication: The Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) covers the costs of medical aids and aids such as hearing aids, diabetes supplies or bandages if you have a doctor’s prescription for them. The ÖGK also covers medication costs, but you need a prescription from a doctor. 

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

How much will I get?

The reimbursement does not cover the whole cost. Once the reimbursement is approved, you will get 80 percent of what the ÖGK would have paid to the public system. This is not the same as 80 percent of your invoice.

The insurance fund doesn’t always approve invoices, it will evaluate the need and set up limits (so, you won’t get a refund on every doctor’s visit if you go to the same specialist type in a short period, for example). Particularly if you plan on a big expense, it’s worth it to check with the fund beforehand if they would cover the private costs.

How can I claim reimbursement?  

You first need to obtain receipts for all medical expenses, including doctor’s invoices, hospital bills, and pharmacy receipts. You’ll also need to gather payment confirmation. Then, you submit this information as a claim request on the website of your insurance company. With ÖGK, the link is HERE.  

You then wait for the processing time, which can take up to several weeks. If your request is approved, you’ll receive the money back straight to the bank account you have in your account details on the insurance website. 

READ ALSO: Will my Austrian health insurance pay for medical expenses abroad?

What if I have private insurance?

Most private insurance in Austria work with statutory companies. You’ll follow the same exact path. Once you get confirmation of how much the public insurance will reimburse you (or if it won’t reimburse you), you can then send all these documents to your private insurance. They will pay the difference between what you got from the public company and what you paid in private healthcare.

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