Slowly there is movement in the recently hardened fronts between the Medical Association and the Ministry of Health. A crisis meeting is planned for Friday between Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) and the chairman of the Medical Association, Johannes Steinhart. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) was optimistic.
The ministry and the House declined to comment further on the contents of the case on Thursday. Rauch simply said that he had “invited the medical association to put an end to the unilaterally declared state of war.” In addition to the meeting with Rauch, further discussions were also planned, the medical association said, but confidentiality had been agreed here.
Doctors threaten to terminate ÖGK’s contract
The Medical Association, which is campaigning against the healthcare reform planned by the federal, state and social security systems, recently proposed terminating the overall contract with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). Further resources were also made available for an “information campaign”.
Long list of points of contention
The doctors worry about powerlessness, especially when it comes to the distribution of health insurance positions. The planned obligation to prescribe active ingredients instead of medicines is also a thorn in the side of the doctor representatives; the chamber sees this as a danger to patient safety. People are also annoyed that the reform plans have been kept secret for a long time and that Rauch has no plans to carry out an assessment. Steinhart criticized the minister again on Wednesday in this context: his action was “quite broadside and an abolition of social partnership”.
According to the plans of the Minister of Health, the reform project, which is also supported by the ÖVP government, will pass through the Council of Ministers next week and be submitted to the National Council as a government proposal. A decision should then be made in December in parallel with the financial equalization.
Nehammer reassures: arguments ‘normal’, discussions ‘on the right track’
Chancellor Nehammer described the ongoing negotiations as “robust” but on a “good path.” He showed understanding for the position of the medical association: ‘In negotiations, everyone acts in a very special way in their own role and professional representative.’ As Chancellor, he himself was “well advised to be available and provide a bridge when there are communication challenges.” The discrepancies are “normal, this is the case in any negotiation process when something is finalized.” In any case, he is confident “that we will finish it well”.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
