On budget filling – Babler: The government is selling our health!

“No profit from care” was Babler’s main statement during a press conference. The Social Democrats want to put a stop to such developments and “take the entire health care system out of danger”. With their contributions, Austrians have earned health and care services that can be obtained with the e-card and not only with the credit card.

The health and social system must remain in public hands
In the past, privatizations were often seen as a panacea, and Babler did not exclude red government members from previous years from his criticism. Today we know how important it is that the health and social system remains in public hands. Private investors are only interested in returns. There was a risk of unequal access to services, higher costs and unstable service provision due to insolvencies. In any case, providers must be forced to reinvest in health facilities by devoting their profits to a specific purpose, he demanded.

Expert: Investors have negative consequences
To reinforce this, Babler brought in the social economist Hans Volmary, who gave a short lecture on health economics about “shareholder-oriented transnational investors in critical social infrastructure”. Conclusion of his research using examples from Germany and England: The entry of such investors has negative consequences for society, the environment, the economy and employees.

In comparison, Austria is “in a privileged position and therefore deserves protection,” says Volmary, as there is a ban on financial investors accessing primary care facilities (PVE). This proves that such negative developments can be prevented and reversed through political decisions.