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HEALTH

How critical is the situation in Austrian hospitals?

Austria's labour shortage is affecting its hospitals, with many warning of possible collapse in the (near) future. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 20 April 2023 16:26 CEST
Austria is experiencing a shortage of nurses. Photo by Luis Melendez on Unsplash
Austria is experiencing a shortage of nurses and doctors. Photo by Luis Melendez on Unsplash

Conditions in Austrian hospitals are visibly deteriorating as hospitals lack staffing, local media has reported.

Most recently, senior physicians at Vienna’s Ottakring Hospital warned of a temporary breakdown of the central emergency room in the summer due to labour shortages, as reported.

At Donaustadt Hospital, the entire neurosurgery ward will have to close due to a massive shortage of nursing staff. As a result, from June or July at the latest, twelve of the 15 beds will be moved to the emergency room, where operations will be carried out.

A growing number of hospitals in Austria are now facing concerns over the shortage of nursing staff. This is evident at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz, where nearly ten percent of the beds are out of operation due to the shortage. The situation has been described as “threatening” by Hellmut Samonigg, the rector of Graz University Hospital, as early as the end of January.

READ ALSO: Everything foreigners need to know about the Austrian healthcare system

The issue of a looming shortage of physicians has been a topic of discussion for some time now. However, in reality, there are enough doctors available – the problem lies in their uneven distribution across the country, the daily Der Standard reported. 

Austria-wide problem

For instance, there is a significant lack of anesthesiologists in many regions, and multiple child and adolescent psychiatry positions remain vacant. While the Medical University Hospital in Graz has an adequate number of medical staff, other hospitals in Austria are facing an exodus of doctors. 

The reasons for this trend are yet to be thoroughly researched, but some indicators suggest that many physicians are choosing to start their own private practices while others are leaving the medical field altogether due to mounting pressures.

The shortage of nursing staff in Austria has been a persistent issue for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated it. Even though the pandemic is now over, the problem persists, with hundreds of beds in Vienna’s hospitals remaining closed due to a lack of nursing staff. 

READ ALSO: ‘We need immigration’: Austrian minister insists foreign workers are the only solution

This shortage is attributed to the demanding nature of the job and the low pay. 

In the Vienna Health Association (Wigev), there are currently 545 vacancies in nursing – and 134 open positions for physicians. The municipal hospital operator points to a national shortage of skilled workers.

Additionally, it mentions the demographic development, with many specialists gradually reaching retirement age at the same time as the demand for medical services is increasing due to the ageing population.

Austria has tried to combat this by making the healthcare profession more attractive, including raising salaries and benefits and making efforts to recruit international nursing staff.

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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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