Health Insurance and Healthcare in Austria Explained

Jump right in:

• [How does healthcare system work in Austria?](#how-does- healthcare-system-work-in-austria-)
• Public healthcare in Austria
• Healthcare costs in Austria
• Pros and cons of the Austrian healthcare system
• Private health insurance in Austria
• How to find a doctor or a dentist

How does healthcare system work in Austria?

The healthcare system in Austria provides excellent healthcare for the vast majority of citizens. Approximately 99% of people who live in Austria are part of the public healthcare system, but it is also possible to purchase additional private health insurance. “Special Class” or “Comfort Class” private healthcare offers you certain benefits, such as shorter waiting times, access to exclusive physicians not available through public healthcare, private hospital rooms, and even a private bathroom or guaranteed television in your room. Read on to see the Austrian healthcare system explained.

Becoming a part of Austria’s public health system is very straightforward: as soon as you start a job in Austria your employer is obligated to register you with Social Insurance within seven days of your start date.

Can I see a doctor if I do not have health insurance?

The short answer would be yes. If you are unable to provide proof of insurance in the form of e-card, you will simply have to pay for the costs of any treatment yourself. If you are unable to pay, the specialist only have to treat you if it is an emergency.

Does Austria have free healthcare?

Healthcare in Austria is only free for:

• pensioners;
• spouses of workers;
• out of work;
• on unemployment benefits;
• people who are unable to work for other extenuating reasons.

Austria health care facts

• Public healthcare is available to all Austrian citizens and also EU/EEA citizens.
• Students from EU/EEA countries can use the European Health Insurance Card to access healthcare in Austria.
• Self-insured students based in Austria must pay around 50 EUR (60 USD) per month for national health insurance.
• Enrolment to the public healthcare system is not optional.
• It is up to employers to register their employees with public health insurance. They then take the health insurance tax from the employee’s salary and pay it to the state.
• Self-employed workers are not automatically added to the public health system, but they are allowed to register.
• The amount paid towards public health insurance is based on a worker’s salary, not their health conditions.
• Self-employed people are covered under the Act on Social Insurance for the Self-Employed (GSVG).

Sick leave

If you get sick while being employed in Austria, it is important to notify your employer as soon as possible. If you are sick for more than 3 days, you will need to get a doctor's note known as “Krankenstandbescheinigung. Salary during sick leave:

• Fullpay: for an initial period (most often, employees receive full pay for 6 weeks).
• Reduced pay: usually 50% for an additional period (around 4 weeks).
• Extended leave: if the illness lasts longer ÖGK social insurance steps in with support.

Health insurance after you have left the job

If you leave your job, you are entitled to treatment by your doctor for up to 6 weeks. You are also able to receive sick pay for up to 3 weeks. Be aware that it is not important how and why you ended your employment; the health insurance provider covers the costs during this time.

Average wait time to see a doctor in Austria

Research shows that waiting times for doctor appointments in Austria vary from province to province. Other provinces have wait times somewhere in between.

To see a general practitioner, you can often expect to get an appointment within a few days. However, if it is not urgent, you can expect to wait longer, either a few weeks or even months, and several weeks to see a specialist. However, waiting times are shorter with private health insurance.

How to find a doctor or dentist

As you are part of the public healthcare system, you can generally see a doctor for free. Plus, dental care is heavily subsidized if you are employed, self-employed, a civil servant, or a farmer.

Remember to take your health insurance card (known as a Krankenschein) with you when you see a doctor, dentist, or a specialist. This will help you avoid paying fees for the meeting. In some areas of the country, you will need a voucher for an appointment. If you do, be aware that you may only be allowed a certain number of vouchers (and appointments) per year.

How to find a family doctor

As soon as you move to Austria, or even before you arrive, you should think about registering with a doctor. There is a handy search tool to find a doctor in your area. You can even set parameters like “expertise,” “gender,” and “foreign language.”

Unless you have private health insurance that includes treatment and diagnoses, etc., by a doctor, make sure when you are looking for a new doctor that they are part of the public system. Doctors who accept public healthcare payments usually display a sign saying, Kassenarzt or Alle Kassen in their doctor’s office. However, always double-check to avoid unexpected charges. You should make an appointment (known as a Termin in Austria) before going to see a doctor in the public system to avoid a long wait. If you need to go to the doctor urgently, expect to have to wait in the live line.

How to find a dentist?

The convenient Austrian Dentistry Chamber website allows you to search for a dentist in your area no matter where you live in the country. You can search by province and district to find the perfect professional for you.

How to find a specialists

If you believe you might need to see a specialist, you should first see a general practitioner in your area. If, once they have seen you, they think you need further expert advice or treatment, they will refer you to a specialist. You can make an appointment with a specific specialist if you would like, however, this sometimes requires a referral from a GP. For a range of doctors and specialists, you can use the Vienna Medical Association’s doctor search tool. If you prefer an English-speaking doctor, you can search for them in the United States Embassy’s comprehensive list.

Public healthcare in Austria

Austria’s public healthcare system is comprehensive, covering virtually all your healthcare needs, no matter your age or background.

The features of public healthcare

• Employed people contribute to the public healthcare system through their salaries, which is taken out of every pay check as a health insurance tax.
• Everyone who is covered by public health insurance gets an e-card.
• E-cards contain a photograph of the owner and can even be used for electronic signatures.
• It is then possible to receive medical services without advanced payment by presenting this e-card to medical professionals.

People are covered through four pathways: precautionary, maternity, therapeutic aids, and illness.

• Precautionary includes: things like vaccinations, remedies and treatment, lifestyle advice, health checks, health at work, and recovery.
• Maternity encompasses: childbirth and things like parental leave benefits, child allowance, and maternity allowance.
• Illness includes: work-related illness, doctor visits, mental illness treatments, and support with serious health problems.
• Therapeutic aids are for the: incapacity for work, accidents at work, treatment after accidents at work, and occupational diseases.

How to apply for public health insurance in Austria?

Remember that employed workers are added to the public health system by their employers or pension funds. However, family members are not. To get insurance for them, you need to contact either your employer or pensions provider, who can then assist you with HR support to help you with the process. For self-employed people or freelancers, it is different. They must register with SVS. If you want to register family members yourself, you can go to  ÖGK or SVS and sign up through their website. To do that, you will need the following documents:

• Completed application form
• Passport or ID;
• Passport photo (not older than 6 months);
• proof of registration with the municipality;
• social security number;
• for non EU/EFTA citizens, a valid residence permit;
• for students, proof of admission, timetable, and proof of previous studies;
• proof of insurance (when registering a dependant family member);
• proof of relationship (marriage/birth certificate).

Healthcare costs in Austria

Costs to the general public

• For most health services, employed people and farmers are likely to benefit for free from the moment they begin receiving care.
• For outpatient visits, you may have to pay between 10 and 20% of the overall cost for contracted physicians.
• A cap was introduced for self-employed workers that limited charges for outpatient visits to 5% of their net annual income.
• For medical aids, such as wheelchairs, most people are covered for up to 1,328 EUR (1,465 USD) per aid.
• Cover for therapeutic appliances, such as electric wheelchairs, varies between provinces in Austria. Regional funds in Vienna and Tyrol cover only up to 498 EUR (550 USD) while funds in Lower Austria, Upper Austria, and Salzburg cover up to 3,320 EUR (3,663 USD).
• Prescriptions cost only a small amount per item for medicine on the “positive list.”
• People receiving the minimum pension, conscientious objectors choosing an alternative civilian service, people with notifiable communicable diseases, and asylum seekers are automatically exempt from paying prescription fees.
• Self-employed people pay 20% of the tariff for outpatient visits. It is only 10% if they reach five personal health goals relating to issues such as blood pressure, weight, exercise, tobacco, and alcohol.

Opinion

I appreciate the social security system in Austria—great healthcare, unemployment benefits, etc. And up until recently, the cost of living had also been very low. (Swedish expat in Vienna)

Opinion

Pros and cons of the Austrian healthcare system

Pros

• Almost everyone is covered by the public healthcare system.
• Healthcare is of a generally excellent standard.
• Prescription costs are relatively low for medicine on the “positive list.”
• Family members and spouses of employed people are covered.
• For serious conditions, the Austrian system protects people from catastrophic medical bills.
• You can add private insurance for faster access, private rooms, or specific providers without losing public coverage.

Cons

• Some of the best physicians are only available if you have private medical insurance.
• There are longer waiting times with public health insurance.
• Hospital rooms can be shared by up to eight or nine patients.
• Quality is high nationwide, but access and wait times can vary between urban areas and more rural regions.

An overview of private health insurance in Austria

Whether you already have public health insurance in Austria and you simply want to complement it, or if you are not covered by the public health insurance, you can invest in a form of private health insurance in Austria. However, it is worth noting that only a small fraction of the population utilizes private insurance.

Private health insurance coverage

Private health insurance in Austria offers optimal expert care and the ability to choose which physician sees you for outpatient treatment. In Austria, private health insurance is considered a lifelong contract, so providers can’t cancel it or add new restrictions later.

Types of health insurance plans

If you take out private health insurance in Austria and you need to spend time in a special ward at a hospital, the costs for staying there are covered by your insurance. The private health insurer will pay the hospital directly, so you do not need to worry about it.

• “Special Class” private health insurance means: you can choose your physician; have shorter waiting times for operations; have greater choices of doctors (who are not available through the public health system); to stay in private hospitals, or in private wards/rooms; benefit from more individualized care; have access to internet, a private bathroom and shower, and other bonus equipment.

• Outpatient Treatment: Some private insurance packages include inpatient treatment, or you may need to pay for it separately. Surgeries with private healthcare doctors and the prescriptions they give are only covered by private health insurance packages. You will be covered for medication and other medical products, and have access to glasses, contact lenses, and more, all for no extra charge.

• More Features: If you get private health insurance in Austria, you can also benefit from extra perks, such as free dental care, travel insurance, subsidized gym memberships, and a range of physicals and check-ups.

Do you need private health insurance in Austria?

With the Social Insurance system so comprehensive in Austria and so easy to access, you only really need to register for additional private health insurance if you want the “Special Class” features or if you suffer from a chronic or serious illness.

Opinion

Healthcare is available, but with private insurance the co-payment is too expensive. (Kenyan expat in Vienna)

Opinion

How much is private health insurance?

The average cost of private health insurance in Austria is approximately 45 to 100 EUR (52 to 116 USD) per month. However, prices vary considerably depending on factors such as age and the features included in each health insurance plan.

How to get private health insurance in Austria

To purchase additional private health insurance, simply choose a plan that suits your needs. See below for example coverage in Austria.

Private medical insurance example

Private health insurance companies in Austria usually offer several different plans that cater to people of all different ages, with different prices for children under 18 years old, up to those 65 years old and over. For example, a plan for children under 18 can cost around 30 EUR per month (35 USD), while the same plan for people 65 years old and older can cost about 450 to 500 EUR (500 to 555 USD).

Private insurance plan example

• Outpatient treatment by legally recognised and licensed physicians; free choice of doctor.
• Inpatient treatment in private and public hospitals (shared room; standard care class)
• Patient transport to the hospital for inpatient treatment.
• Coverage of costs for medically prescribed medications and bandages.
• Medical aids up to a maximum of EUR 2,500.00
• Pregnancy examinations and treatments
• Medically necessary dental treatment
• Annual dental check-up
• Annual teeth cleaning
• Medically necessary dental prosthesis
• Accident-related dental prosthesis (including repairs) 
• Additional costs of medically advisable, medically prescribed return transport to the home country
• Transfer costs and funeral costs in the event of death of the insured person up to EUR 25,000.00.

What is not included:

For coverage outside Austria, the following exclusions apply:

• Pre-planned treatments or travel undertaken for treatment purposes
• Illnesses or accidents caused by nuclear energy, war, or active riots (unless explicitly covered)
• Spa, sanatorium, rehabilitation, and withdrawal treatments
• Outpatient treatment in spas or health resorts
• Treatment by close relatives or household members
• Care due to infirmity, dependency, or custodial needs
• Pre-existing pregnancies at policy start or extension
• Vaccinations and newly needed medical aids (unless accident-related)
• Sterility treatments, including artificial insemination
• Pre-existing HIV infections and related treatments
• Suicide or attempted suicide and consequences
• Organ donations and related complications

This an actual plan offered by Care Austria that you can access for 95 EUR per month (maximum duration 365 days or unlimited for 150 EUR per month).

Top private insurance providers in Austria:

• Allianz Care
• Cigna Global
• April International
• Care Austria
• Uniqa

How to apply for private health insurance in Austria?

Since there is a wide range of private health insurance companies to choose from in Austria, it is important not only to compare plans and prices, but also to consider:

• Does the plan cover your specific needs?
• Does the insuring company pay medical bills directly, or do you need to pay upfront and request reimbursement after? How complex is the reimbursement process?
• Is travel insurance included, and do you need it?
• What are the reviews of the company?
• Is it possible to cancel your plan or change to another provider?

After you have decided and done your further research, you can then contact the provider directly to sign up. The process is simple, as you can either sign up directly through their website or if it is more complex, you can follow the contact information so that the company’s professionals can walk you through it.

Opinion

I like that the access to affordable healthcare in Austria isn’t dependent on my job (US American expat in Salzburg)

Opinion