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Austria: Thousands take part in coronavirus sceptic protests

More than 4,000 people turned out for the latest demonstrations against coronavirus measures in several Austrian towns and cities on Wednesday, as the government considered measures to counter them.

Published: 6 January 2021 21:37 CET
Austria: Thousands take part in coronavirus sceptic protests
A file photo of a coronavirus protest in Vienna from October 2020. Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP

Police reported the presence of “extremists and radicals” elements at one such gathering, a feature of previous demonstrations that is increasingly worrying the authorities.

Austria is currently in its third coronavirus lockdown, which is scheduled to end on January 24.

The biggest demonstration on Wednesday saw 2,500 people gather in the town of Wiener Neustadt, according to police, who arrested several people for breaches of anti-coronavirus measures.

Police also said they had to intervene because “a group of extremists and radicals were causing a disturbance”. The group in question was of an “anti-democratic” tendency, they added.

READ MORE: Austria to extend coronavirus lockdown

About a thousand protesters gathered in the town of Amstetten and 500 in the southern town of Judenburg.

Smaller protests — some billed as “walks” in order to evade virus-related curbs on gatherings — were reported in several other cities and towns in different parts of the country.

The presence of extremist elements in some of the protests has caused alarm and pushed authorities to announce tighter surveillance of such events.

In the town of Braunau am Inn on Saturday, about 50 protesters stopped to pose for a photo in front of the house where Adolf Hitler was born.

Local police say several of them are now being investigated for having allegedly raised their arms in Nazi salutes.

The interior ministry said Tuesday it was preparing guidelines for tougher action against such events where necessary.

“The far-right calls for the demonstrations, they push them and use the corona cloak to spread their ideologies,” interior ministry spokesman Harald Soeroes told AFP on Tuesday.

“That's no longer about freedom of expression, that's re-engagement” in National Socialist activities, a crime under Austrian law, Soeroes said.

Local authorities would be advised to prohibit demonstrations “when there is evidence that radical elements known to authorities will participate, that banners with right-wing extremist messages will be shown,” he added.

The exact motivations and demands of the protestors are often difficult to pin down, but frustration at the repeated lockdowns as well as opposition to mask-wearing and vaccinations are common themes.

On Sunday in the capital Vienna, about 2,000 protesters gathered for one protest rally.

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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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