It is an inconspicuous item on the list of blue-black austerity measures – but ultimately with significant consequences for the finances of pensioners: the planned increase in health insurance premiums for everyone who is retired. An expert has calculated for the “Krone” readers which specific losses this could threaten.
At the press conference on Thursday, ÖVP club president August Wöginger and FPÖ finance spokesman Hubert Fuchs mentioned almost all the planned austerity measures. But there is one thing they are silent about and that is of course also on the list that Finance Minister Gunter Mayr reported to Brussels. A very inconspicuous line in the Excel document reads: “Health insurance premium adjustments”. As a result, Blauw-Zwart wants to raise a total of 270 million euros for the budget this year, one of the larger items on the list. The “Krone” shows in a clear graph how much pensioners can soon lose, depending on the amount of their own pension.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
