Waiting times in the health system: two-class medicine in Upper Austria!

Waiting times in the health system: two-class medicine in Upper Austria!

Linz, Österreich - In Upper Austria, patients who rely on public health services have to deal with significant waiting times. Some have to wait up to two months for a doctor's appointment, while appointments under three weeks are exception in the Innviertel. Despite the acute complaints of many affected people, this happens, such as a 65-year-old woman from the Urfahr-Umgebung district, who has to deal with severe back pain and suspected of a herniated disc. An MRI date was only offered in Linz for three months. However, in order to be treated faster, she paid 258 euros for an investigation in a private hospital that was carried out two days later. As reports [exxpress.at] (https://exxpress.at/news/zwei-klassen- Medicine-Lange-wartezeiten-in-oberoesterreich/), self-payers often receive an appointment in private institutes on the same day if they are willing to invest at least 200 euros.

The gap between medical care for health insurance patients and self -payers is getting bigger. The private clinic Diakonissen in Linz recorded around 2,000 external MRI appointments on private bill last year. In view of this situation, AK President Andreas Stangl demands measures to improve waiting times and more transparency about the average waiting times on the website of the hospitals. Energy institute and patient representative warn of tightening social imbalance in the healthcare system, the structural bottlenecks should not be remedied.

two-class medicine and their consequences

A current survey carried out as part of the Austrian Health Report shows that 70 % of the Austrians assess their health as good or very good. However, 80 % of the respondents are convinced that people who can afford private treatment are treated faster. This perception is reflected in dissatisfaction: 54 % of the respondents complain about the long waiting times. Although there are progress in general health, serious problems such as obesity, diabetes and mental illnesses are still present. The survey was published by the IFES social research institute on behalf of Sandoz and shows an increase in satisfaction with the health system from 45 % in the previous year to 51 % this year, such as [Kurier.at] (https://kurier.at/wissen/austrian--rort-zwei-klassen- Medicine-Gesundheit-sundheiten--Fes/40295958) reported.

The reforms in the healthcare system, in particular the merging of the health insurance companies by the ÖVP and FPÖ, have further tightened the situation. In 2020, the then Minister of Social Affairs Beate Hartinger-Klein introduced the reform to the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), which instead of the hoped-for savings caused additional costs of 214.9 million euros. The Court of Auditors reports that the hoped -for savings have not been reached, while health insurance patients continue to accept long waiting times and inadequate medical care. Patients are increasingly dependent on private supplementary insurance and optional medical practices. Health researchers warn of an impending “two-class medicine” and a possible collapse of the welfare state, as described on Neuzeitzeit.at.

urgent measures to improve

The challenges in the health system are considerable. There are 300 unoccupied cash offices, including 176 for general medicine, while the number of health insurance doctors: inside, despite a population growth of 6 %, stagnated. It is questionable that a third of the doctors: the inside will become ready for guest in the next ten years. The shortage of skilled workers already leads to station closures and shifts in operations, which endangers patient care. Suggestions for improvement include a uniform tariff design and higher serves for country doctors: inside to increase the attractiveness of your positions.

Political initiatives, such as Carinthia, aim to improve the situation by supporting medical students with higher allowances. The goal is to keep the health system accessible and fairly financed for everyone in order to cope with the long -term challenges. Only through appropriate measures can the gap between the different forms of care and financial possibilities of the patient.