VIENNA: Austria’s decision to make pensioners pay the annual e-card service fee has triggered a fierce political dispute. For the first time, many retirees will see €26.85 deducted from their November pension to cover the charge for 2027.
Until now, pensioners were generally exempt from the fee. The change comes as the charge itself has risen sharply: it was €13.80 in 2025, increased to €25 in 2026, and now stands at €26.85 for next year.
The opposition has seized on the issue. The Freedom Party (FPÖ) accuses the governing coalition of placing an unfair burden on older people while cutting health care benefits. FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz said pensioners, who had worked and paid contributions for decades, were being “picked clean.”
The party also criticizes reductions at the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), including the removal of the family supplement for new sickness benefit cases, higher out of pocket costs for dental prosthetics, and stricter rules for medical transport. It demands that the pensioner charge be abolished and the cuts reversed.
The Greens share the criticism. Health spokesperson Ralph Schallmeiner called the fee a “highly unjust” burden on more than two million pensioners, arguing that people are paying more while receiving less. He also said the promised reduction in the prescription-fee cap from 2 percent to 1.5 percent of net income will come too late, with full implementation not expected until 2030.
The Social Democrats (SPÖ) reject the attacks and remind the FPÖ that the e-card fee was introduced in 2005 under a previous ÖVP-FPÖ government. The party says the Freedom Party’s outrage is selective, pointing to the higher costs caused by the later merger of health insurers.
The SPÖ stresses that low income pensioners are protected. Those receiving the equalization supplement, or exempt from prescription charges because of financial hardship, do not have to pay the e-card fee. Co-insured family members are also exempt.
According to the government, revenue from the fee will be reinvested in health care, including new insurance fund offices, stronger local services, and expanded primary-care centers. Officials argue these measures will particularly benefit older people and patients with chronic illnesses.
