Care at the limit: Patients suffer from waiting times for years!

Care at the limit: Patients suffer from waiting times for years!

The health sector in Austria is at a critical point. Yilmaz Gülüm will present the “report” on the supply situation on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 9:05 p.m. on ORF 2 and on ORF ON. The report highlights serious problems that patients are currently enduring. Many people wait two and a half years for a knee operation and a whole year for appointments with specialists such as internists. These long waiting times are an expression of the overloaded system, which will face a budget hole of 900 million euros in the Austrian health insurance fund in the coming years. Savings in medical transport and preventive examinations have already been introduced, with patients without access to elective doctors being hit particularly hard. ots.at

The background to this crisis is complex. A key factor is that reform proposals have failed in the past due to interests in power and influence. However, the need for profound changes in the health system could be accelerated by the threat of excessive deficit proceedings against Austria. As part of the report, Vienna's City Councilor for Health, Peter Hacker, will speak and discuss current challenges.

Health care reform and structural challenges

In order to address the acute problems in the healthcare system, a comprehensive healthcare reform was initiated. This reform aims to ensure high-quality medical care and overcome existing challenges. This is the largest structural reform in decades and is being negotiated with the federal states and social security as part of financial equalization. The federal government will provide over 2 billion euros annually for health and care until 2028, totaling 14 billion euros. socialminister.gv.at

The key points of the health care reform include strengthening the private practice sector and structural reform in hospitals. With an annual budget of 300 million euros, several hundred additional checkout points are to be created. An important aspect is the expansion of primary care centers and the introduction of digital offerings that should also meet increasing demand. These measures are urgently needed to improve long-awaited access to doctor's offices and to counteract overcrowded hospitals.

Current health data and social challenges

Dealing with the healthcare system is also influenced by demographic changes. An aging society leads to increasing health and care services, while the number of statutory health insurance physicians remains consistently low. There are currently 7.43 million social health insurance policies in Austria, which illustrates the need for a sustainable system. According to current statistics, the share of health spending in Austria in 2023 was around 55.1 billion euros, with a significant part going towards inpatient health care. statista.com

In addition to the structural challenges, there are social tensions. The debate about queer issues shows that society is polarized, with the number of hate crimes against LGBTQ people increasing by 20 percent. These social and health challenges will be reflected in a broader discussion about the role of politics and its measures in 2025.