Knee problems in old age: 71-year-old suffers from long waiting times!

Knee problems in old age: 71-year-old suffers from long waiting times!

Vöcklabruck, Österreich - A 71-year-old man from the Vöcklabruck district fights with considerable problems in his knee joints, especially with severe pain in the right knee. Although he can hardly endure a stress on the knee when walking, he is faced with long waiting times when it comes to a needed knee operation. After a conversation with his family doctor, he learned that the waiting time for such an operation can be up to one year in the region. This situation forces him to live with the painful restrictions because he cannot spend the necessary financial resources for private treatment. The man receives a small pension that does not allow an immediate private payment for the operation.

According to a study by the Institute for Higher Studies (IHS), every tenth patient is confronted with the possibility of shortening the waiting time to the operating doctor by paying. This practice ensures inequality in the health system and means that the actual waiting times for patients who cannot afford private treatment are even longer. Andreas Stangl, the President of the Chamber of Labor (AK), criticizes this preferential practice and demands a reduction in waiting times for all insured persons to ensure that health does not depend on income.

The continuation of two-class medicine

The problem of long waiting times in the Austrian health system increases the existing two-class medicine. A report by CGM.com describes a hierarchical structure in the healthcare system that is divided into four classes: The first class are Ecard patients, followed by election doctor patients, insiders and people with personal contacts to doctors. This subdivision promotes preference for election doctors who offer faster appointments and longer discussions. Critics complain about the long waiting time for health doctors and the supposedly lower quality of health insurance.

The health economist Thomas Czypionka recognizes differences in health care, but sees the differences within Austria as relatively low. Nevertheless, the increase in private spending in the healthcare system cannot be ignored, as it gets from 21.8% in 2021 to 22.9% in 2023. Andreas Huss, chairman of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), confirms the existing problems with overcrowded waiting rooms and the shortage of doctors, especially in view of an aging population and the increasing number of retired persons.

long -term solutions

In order to meet these challenges, the ÖGK plans to build a total of 300 primary care centers by 2030 and stop 800 additional health insurance doctors. Nevertheless, there is skepticism about the recruitment of new doctors, since many places have remained vacant for years. Young doctors tend to prefer flexible working models and criticize bureaucracy and the low fee in the cash register area.

The presence of informal payments in the health system is alarming in Austria; 11% of the patients report offers to shorten waiting times. In international comparison, Austria has the highest rate of informal payments within the EU. During the Covid 19 pandemic, this situation has further tightened, and the waiting times for elective operations have increased in Vienna to an average of 28 weeks. Patients with private health insurance benefit from shorter waiting times, which further reinforces the inequalities in access to medical care.

In the context, hopes rest on a well -organized public health supply that offers sufficient capacities among specialists. It remains to be seen whether the planned reforms and the establishment of additional supply centers can solve the pressing problems in the Austrian healthcare system.