Austria's health system at the limit: urgent need for action required!

Austria's health system at the limit: urgent need for action required!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On March 6, 2025, Johannes Steinhart, President of the Austrian Medical Association, commented on the growing supply deficits in the Austrian health system. According to Steinhart, problems such as the lack of health insurance doctors, personnel shortages in the hospitals and long waiting times for appointments are serious. This will also be reinforced by a forecast deficit of the Austrian health fund of 900 million euros this year. Nevertheless, Steinhart is optimistic about the new government program, which responds to many of these problems and promises solutions, such as the expansion of primary care and multidisciplinary specialist centers, such as ots reported .

necessary reforms to ensure supply

Harald Mayer, Vice President of the Medical Association, emphasized the need for a binding patient steering in order to relieve the overloaded hospital outpatient clinics. He referred to the example of the Netherlands, where patients only get to the hospital with a transfer. These measures could reduce both the costs and ensure more efficient use of resources in the health system. A clear and binding regulation could prevent patients from taking advantage of expensive health services at will, which would also burden the budget. Mayer also applauded the plans of the new government to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, which is currently affecting the quality of patient care, so Bundesag.de .

The discussion about necessary reforms is also loud in Germany. Experts emphasize that basic reforms in the health system must be achieved in order to keep medical care affordable. Structural changes and a clear separation of financing between the federal and state governments are urgently needed. Health economists warn of the false incentives of the dual insurance system, which means that privately insured persons receive twice as high remuneration for outpatient treatments as legally insured. These inequalities not only create different waiting times for patients, but also put a strain on the entire health system. According to experts, the demands for better cross -sectoral supply and uniform quality standards are essential.