Our healthcare system is at a tipping point. Dual medicine has reached dramatic proportions. Despite the growing population, there are fewer and fewer statutory health insurers. For a long time it was referred to as “one of the best healthcare systems in the world”. The latest figures show a very different picture. The “Krone” has the details.
In almost all medical disciplines there are more and more elective doctors and fewer and fewer statutory health insurers. The situation is particularly dramatic among urologists and dermatologists: the number of dermatologists with a health insurance contract has fallen by 79 since 2017 and the number of elective physicians has increased by 136. The share of elective physicians has increased from 58 to 71 percent in six years.
Among urologists, the share of elective physicians has increased from 55 to 62 percent. Since 2017, 61 elective doctors have opened a new practice, compared to just two statutory health insurers. These figures come from the SPÖ’s answer to a parliamentary question to the Ministry of Health.
One surgeon for 80,000 inhabitants
The number of specialists in relation to the population also confirms the deterioration. There are almost 24,000 residents per ophthalmologist and as many as 80,000 per surgeon. There are 60,000 inhabitants per psychiatrist and approximately 36,000 dermatologists and orthopedists.
The number of refund requests is exploding
Requests for reimbursement of elective physician bills and associated costs have also exploded. Reimbursement requests from child psychologists have increased by a whopping 182 percent, and those from adult psychologists by 91 percent. The costs for orthopedists submitted by patients to the health insurance fund have more than doubled from 34 million euros to 74 million, as have those for general practitioners (from 35 to 75 million).
SPÖ sounds the alarm
The SPÖ calls for a course correction. Because the damage that has already been done is too great to muddle through as before. In any case, significantly more will be needed to expand and improve the healthcare system and to guarantee a doctor’s appointment within 14 days for everyone who needs one.
“Our healthcare system is getting worse instead of better. The next elections will be a decisive decision. If the SPÖ comes under government responsibility, we will strengthen the public health system again. If that is not the case, there is a danger that things will eventually collapse,” said SPÖ club chairman Philip Kucher.
More study places, better doctor contracts
In concrete terms, the Social Democrats propose a general Austrian contract for doctors, the expansion of the range of services and equally good services for everyone (harmonization of services). In addition, medical study places should be doubled, including priority ranking for those who agree to be available to the public health system for a specified period of time.
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.
