The Austrian Medical Association is sounding the alarm over the country’s healthcare system, urging the government to make key reforms during ongoing budget negotiations, reported by Austrian News Agency. While Medical Association President Johannes Steinhart welcomed the news that the federal budget won’t include major cuts to healthcare, he warned that deeper structural changes are badly needed—especially within the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK).
Steinhart expressed serious concern about the ÖGK’s growing deficit, calling some cost-saving proposals “irritating.” He criticized recent efforts to limit physiotherapy prescriptions and reduce MRT and CT scans, warning these cuts could lead to missed diagnoses. Instead, he suggested rethinking how ÖGK outpatient clinics operate, as well as proposing a new real estate strategy to better manage space and costs.
Stronger collaboration with other social insurance providers, particularly in IT and property management, could also ease the financial burden, Steinhart said. Though cautious about proposals to dismantle the ÖGK and shift responsibilities to Austria’s provinces, he defended solidarity-based healthcare funding as essential for ensuring stable resources.
Steinhart pushed back against criticism of doctors’ salaries, calling it “class warfare” and not constructive. He emphasized that physicians already make strong contributions and provide high-quality care.
To ease pressure on the system, the association is also calling for 1,000 new public health doctor positions and more flexible contracts. Strengthening the national health hotline 1450 and creating simplified primary care centers—where doctors work with other health professionals—are also among the suggested solutions.
In closing, Steinhart stressed the need to retain trained doctors and make it easier for physicians to be employed in clinics without opening new insurance-funded positions. Without real change, he warned, the healthcare system may struggle to meet future demands.
