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Could Austria’s digital ‘Covid passport’ idea restart summer travel?

Travel agencies in Austria are calling on the national government and EU to back a digital "Covid passport” to save the summer travel season.

Published: 4 February 2021 21:16 CET

Could Austria's digital 'Covid passport' idea restart summer travel?

A policeman stands in front of an Air Austria poster at Vienna Airport. Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP

The proposed mobile app would allow travellers to show their test results, antibody status and any Covid-19 vaccinations they have had, drawing inspiration from a Danish initiative.

Such an app would eliminate the costly processing of paper evidence and the patchwork of different travel standards, argued Vienna Airport CEO Günther Ofner.

He says since the airport in Vienna was the first in the world to introduce PCR testing, more than 130,000 tests have been carried out at the airport.

The airport joined with a group of travel agencies to call on the Austrian government to take immediate action to introduce such an app, with others already in the pipeline.

The International Air Transport Association is developing the IATA Travel Pass, already supported by some airlines. And the World Economic Forum is working on a CommonPass.

Denmark is looking at a way to create a national digital vaccination certificate which could be used in cultural and business settings, as well as with travel agencies and the airport.

UPDATED: Which countries are now on Austria's quarantine list?

There is much at stake. Tourism contributes over six percent of Austrian GDP, mostly from skiing.

Meanwhile, Vienna Airport is majority-owned by provinces of Lower Austria and Vienna.

This year the airport is expecting 12.5m passengers, 60 percent more than last year, but still less than half the pre-pandemic figure.

On its slowest day last year there were just 154.

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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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