Austria Information
Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 20
Home Country: austria
|
 Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 2:58 am Post subject: HEALTHCARE IN AUSTRIA / AUSTRIA HOSPITAL GUIDE |
 |
|
HEALTHCARE IN AUSTRIA
GENERAL
Austria is well known for a generous social system. Although spending has been reduced in recent years, you will still find very good healthcare and a strong social security system. There is an extensive network of hospitals and doctors covering even the remotest areas of Austria.
If you are a tourist or just staying temporarily in Austria coming from a European Union country you are automatically entitled to free basic health care due to reciprocal agreements among EU countries. You need to have the E111-form that is available from your home country’s health insurance authorities. Alternatively, you may be issued with the European Health Insurance Card, which is in the process of being introduced at different speeds in different countries and is an equivalent replacing the E111-form.
Everyone living and working in Austria must make health insurance contributions. Health insurance is part of the social security insurance system. Depending on the type of employment, there are different fee and payment scales. The social security system can also include accident, pension and unemployment insurances. Basic healthcare and dental treatment care in public hospitals and medication are covered, as well as visits at specialists. The cost for an insured person depends on their income and therefore varies a lot.
What to do to get insurance
If you have found a job, you are almost automatically enrolled in the public health system. Without a job, this can be a costly undertaking. Make sure you know how to be properly insured.
Within seven days of starting a new job, both employees and independent contractors must be enrolled in one or more insurance programmes within the social insurance system. The employee then receives a green Social Insurance Card ( Sozialversicherungskarte), which shows your social insurance number and date of birth. It is recommended you always carry this card with you.
There are basically two ways to enroll:
* If you are an employee, this is straightforward because your employer is required to process your enrolment at the district health insurance fund ( Gebietskrankenkasse).
* If you are working as an independent contractor, you have to register yourself with the Social Insurance for the Industrial Economy - Sozialversicherung der gewerblichen Wirtschaft’.
Dependants
All family dependants of an employed person (e.g. wife/husband and children) are covered by their social security insurance. If you are self-employed, you need to get additional insurance to cover members of your family!
How to get medical help
With health insurance you can visit most doctors in Austria and be sure of getting treatment in the case illness or accidents. On the presentation of your insurance voucher, you can be sure that you will receive the proper treatment.
It is always recommended to make an appointment (Termin) as waiting times can be long. If you need urgent help, you go without an appointment during office hours, but expect to wait. Otherwise you may have to wait several days or even weeks, especially to consult a dentist or specialist. Even with an appointment, you will find you probably have to spend some time waiting. Normal surgery hours and appointment times can differ considerably but are usually every morning, but not every afternoon. Few surgeries open on Saturdays and on Sunday. During holiday times most doctors have a locum in to cover for them.
Don't forget your insurance voucher
To see a doctor you need to have a health insurance voucher (Krankenschein). Vouchers are issued by your health insurance fund. There are different vouchers for general physicians, specialists or dentists. There is a cost of about €3.63 per voucher to be paid by the insured person. In some Austrian districts the number of vouchers per calendar quarter is limited. There are exemptions from the person voucher fee or drug prescription fees, e.g. for children or exempt persons. Holiday health vouchers, as well as exchanged, corrected or unused vouchers are not charged for. When you are looking for a doctor be aware that only those having contracts with the insurance fund are free to visit. Note that some doctors only treat privately insured clients. If you have state insurance, make sure you check this when making an appointment. Doctors who accept state payments generally display a sign Kassenarzt or Alle Kassen in their surgery. If you're treated by anyone other than a Kassenarzt, you will not be reimbursed by the state insurance scheme.
What to do in an emergency
In case of an emergency, don’t worry about insurance issues and just head directly to the nearest emergency room. Under Austrian law, any health organization, public or private, is required to treat patients in an emergency situation regardless of their insurance status. However, they might want to charge you for their services afterwards, so don’t think you get everything for free.
How to deal with hospital and clinics in Austria
Austria has state-maintained (public) hospitals and private hospitals. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which is set up to deal with many kinds of disease and injury, and typically has an emergency ward or A&E department to deal with immediate threats to health and the capacity to dispatch emergency medical services.
All hospitals, with the exception of some private clinics, are open to all insured patients. Normally doctors transfer patients to a hospital and control of treatment is then managed by a doctor there.
Hospitals in Austria aren't cheap! All fees have to be paid for either by you or your insurance company. Even in the case of an emergency, there is no such thing as "free treatment". If it is your decision whether or not to go into hospital, check your cover with your insurance company.
When going to a hospital or clinic, take proof of your health insurance with you (although you're unlikely to be refused in case of emergencies). If you are admitted to hospital, your health insurance will cover the costs of that stay.
The room you get depends on your health insurance scheme. If privately insured, you will probably get a single or double room. If state insured, you will probably share with two or three others. Bring a night-dress or pyjamas, towels and toiletries to the hospital.
All hospitals run a special accident and emergency department ( Notaufnahme), where you go if you need urgent and immediate medical attention at any time.
How do get medication in Austria
In Austria, you get medicines from dispensing chemists/pharmacies ( Apotheke).These should not be confused with drugstores ( Drogerie), where you can buy toiletries.
There are two types of medication: freely-available drugs and prescription only medicines, which require a Rezept (prescription) from a doctor. The prescription is taken to the pharmacy by the patient and the pharmacist issues the medicines.
The law on prescriptions is very strict. Many medicines that you may be able to buy over the counter in your own country, such as antibiotics, must be prescribed by a doctor in Austria. However, some painkillers, such as headache tablets, are available at pharmacies without a prescription.
With state health insurance, the majority of the costs of prescription medicines are paid for directly by your insurance company. You do pay a small nominal fee for each drug, depending on its cost (Zuzahlungspflicht). The fee of the prescription in Austria is at present € 4, 45. With private insurance, you pay for medication and then send receipts to your insurer for reimbursement.
Usually pharmacies in Austria are opened Monday-Friday 8.00am – 6.00pm and Saturday 8.00am – 12.00am (sometimes also till 4.00pm). In case of an emergency there is always one pharmacy opened off opening-hours.
What is the e-card and how to use it
The e-card is a smart card which in the first step substitutes all health insurance vouchers. The e-card is not only an electronic health insurance voucher. It is prepared for electronic signature and therefore can also be used as Citizen Card.
The e-card system is the basis for an electronic administration system of Austrian Social Security Institutions. In a first step the paper health insurance voucher will be substituted by the e-card Within the scope of the application “substitution of health insurance vouchers” the e-card serves as the patient’s proof of claim with the physician (or dentist) and replaces all forms of the traditional health insurance vouchers of all social security institutions. Thus, for the cardholder medical treatment will be accessible without administrative barriers and without paper documents.
Each person (insured and dependant relatives), who was entitled for benefits from the legal health insurance system will receive such a card.
DIRECTORY OF HOSPITALS & CLINICS
VIENNA
Public Hospitals
Allgemeines Krankenhaus (AKH) - Vienna General Hospital
Währinger Gürtel 18-20
1090 Vienna
Tel.: 40400-0
Fax: 40400-1207
e-mail: post_akh_diz@akhwien.at
Social Medical Center Ost (SMZ) - Donauspital
Langobardenstr. 122
1220 Vienna
Tel.: 28802-0
Fax: 28802-2050
e-mail: brigitte.lerch@smz.magwien.gv.at
Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital
Kundratstrasse 3
1100 Vienna
Tel.: 60191-0
Fax: 60191-1929
Lainz Krankenhaus
Wolkersbergenstr. 1
1130 Vienna
Tel.: 80110-0
Fax: 80110-2109
e-mail: post@khl.magwien.gv.at
Krankenhaus Rudolfsstiftung
Juchgasse 25
1030 Vienna
Tel.: 71165-0
Fax: 71165-1009
e-mail: post@kar.magwien.gv.at
Hanusch Krankenhaus
Heinrich Collin Str. 30
1140 Vienna
Tel.: 91021-0
Wilhelminenspital
Montleartstrasse 37
1160 Vienna
Tel.: 49150-0
Fax: 49150-1009
e-mail: post@wil.magwien.gv.at
Unfallkrankenhaus Lorenz Böhler (accident hospital)
Donaueschingenstrasse 13
1200 Vienna
Tel.: 33110-0
Fax: 33110-277
e-mail: UBA@auva.sozvers.at
Unfallkrankenhaus Meidling (accident hospital)
Kundratstrasse 37
1120 Vienna
Tel.: 60150-0
Fax: 60150-3075
e-mail: UMA@auva.sozvers.at
St. Anna Kinderspital (pediatric hospital)
Kinderspitalgasse 6
1090 Vienna
Tel.: 40170-0
e-mail: pr@stanna.at
Preyer'sches Kinderspital (pediatric hospital)
Schrankenberggasse 31
1100 Vienna
Tel.: 601 13-0
Fax: 601 13-1109
e-mail: post@pre.magwien.gv.at
Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Baumgartner Höhe (psychiatric hospital)
Baumgartner Höhe 1
1140 Vienna
Tel.: 91060-0
Fax: 91060-49518
e-mail: direktion@ows.magwien.gv.at
Private Hospitals
Rudolfinerhaus
Billrothstr. 78
1190 Vienna
Tel.: 36036-0
Tel.: 36 98 110
Privatklinik Döbling
Heiligenstädter Str. 57-63
1190 Vienna
Tel.: 36066-0
Fax: 36 91 433
e-mail: privatklinik@pkd.at
Wiener Privatklinik
Pelikangasse 15
1090 Vienna
Tel: 40180-0
e-mail: office@wpk.at
Krankenhaus Barmherzige Brüder
Grosse Mohrengasse 9
1020 Vienna
Tel: 21121-0
Fax: 21121-1333
e-mail: krankenhaus@bbwien.at
Goldenes Kreuz
Lazarettgasse 16
1090 Vienna
Tel.: 40111-0
e-mail: verwaltung@goldenes-kreuz.at
LOWER AUSTRIA
Allgemeines Krankenhaus St. Pölten
Propst Führer Str. 4
3100 St. Pölten
Tel.: 02742/300
Allgemeines Krankenhaus
Corvinusring 3-5
2700 Wr. Neustadt
Tel.: 02622/23521-0
UPPER AUSTRIA
Allgemeines Krankenhaus Linz
Krankenhausstr. 9
4020 Linz
Tel.: 070/7806-1320
Fax: 070/7806-1325
e-mail: vdion@akh.linz.at
Unfallkrankenhaus Linz (accident hospital)
Blumauerplatz 1
4020 Linz
Tel.: 070/6920-0
SALZBURG
Landeskrankenhaus Salzburg
Müllner Hauptstrasse 48
5020 Salzburg
Tel.: 0662/4482-0
Unfallkrankenhaus Salzburg (accident hospital)
Dr. Franz Rehrl Platz 5
5020 Salzburg
Tel.: 0662/6580-0
TYROL
Allgemeines Krankenhaus (AKH) - (University Clinics)
Anichstrasse 35
6020 Innsbruck
Tel.: 0512/504-0
Allgemeines Krankenhaus
Emanuel v. Hibler Str. 5
9900 Lienz
Tel.: 04852/606-0
CARINTHIA
Krankenhaus
St. Veiter Str. 47
9020 Klagenfurt
Tel.: 0463/538-0
Unfallkrankenhaus Klagenfurt (accident hospital)
Waldmannsdorfer Str. 35
9020 Klagenfurt
Tel.: 0463/5890
Landeskrankenhaus Villach
Nikolaigasse 43
9500 Villach
Tel.: 04242/208-0
STYRIA
Landeskrankenhaus Graz (University Clinics)
Auenburgerplatz 1
8010 Graz
Tel.: 0316/385-0
Krankenhaus der Stadt Graz
Albert Schweitzer Gasse 22
8010 Graz
Tel.: 0316/912410
Unfallkrankenhaus Graz (accident hospital)
Göstlinger Str. 24
8010 Graz
Tel.: 0316/505-0
Krankenhaus Barmherzige Brüder
Marschallg. 12
8010 Graz
Tel.: 0316/7067-0
Fax: 0316/7067-707
e-mail: krankenhaus@bbgraz.at
BURGENLAND
Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder
Esterhazystr. 26
7000 Eisenstadt
Tel.: 02682/601-0
VORARLBERG
Landeskrankenhaus Bregenz
C. Pendenz Str. 2
6900 Bregenz
Tel.: 05574/401-0
LABORATORIES
Medizinisch-Diagnostisches Labor Dr. Dostal
Saarplatz 9/1
1190 Vienna
Tel.: 36 24 72
e-mail: labor.dostal@aon.at
Labor Birkmayer
Schwarzspanierstr. 15
1090 Vienna
Tel.: 402 23 67-0
Fax: 403 65 74
e-mail: office@birkmayer.com or iatmo@birkmayer.com |
|
Register
Log in
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
