Austria will make prescription charges lighter for many patients from January 2027, lowering the annual ceiling on what people must pay for prescribed medicines.
The cap will fall from 2 percent to 1.875 percent of a person’s yearly net income. Once patients reach that limit, they will pay no further prescription fees for the rest of the calendar year. The change is designed chiefly to help people with long-term illnesses and those who regularly need medication.
The saving depends on income and on how many eligible prescriptions a patient needs. Someone earning 20,000 euros net a year will see the ceiling fall from 400 euros in 2026 to 375 euros in 2027, a reduction of 25 euros. At the current prescription fee of 7.55 euros, that person would reach the limit after about 50 prescriptions.
For a net income of 30,000 euros, the cap drops from 600 euros to 562.50 euros, saving 37.50 euros. At 40,000 euros, it falls from 800 euros to 750 euros, a saving of 50 euros.
The reduction will not be paid out automatically. Patients benefit only if their annual prescription costs actually exceed the new ceiling. Those who stay below it will see no direct financial gain.
No yearly application is required. Eligible payments are recorded electronically, and members of Austria’s largest health insurer, the ÖGK, can follow their running total through the “Meine ÖGK” online portal.
The ceiling also includes certain medicines whose subsidised pharmacy price is below the prescription charge, provided they were prescribed as part of medical treatment and qualify for reimbursement. Private purchases, over-the-counter products and dietary supplements do not count.
A further change may matter to families: eligible medicine costs for co-insured children and other relatives will be added to the main insured person’s account. This could help some households reach their personal limit sooner. It does not, however, create one shared cap for an entire household, especially where relatives have their own insurance.
The 2027 reduction is only the first step. The ceiling will fall to 1.75 percent in 2028, 1.625 percent in 2029 and 1.5 percent from 2030, offering gradually greater protection to patients facing high medicine costs.
