Austria's Private Practice: A Guide To Medical Excellence

Austria has a two-tier healthcare system, with a comprehensive public system and the option to purchase supplementary private health insurance. The public system is funded by mandatory insurance contributions, and covers all essential health issues and medication requirements. Private insurance offers benefits such as shorter waiting times, exclusive physicians, and private hospital rooms. While the public system is of a high standard, some of the best physicians are only available with private insurance.

Registering with a doctor

As soon as you move to Austria, or even before you arrive, you should consider registering with a doctor. You can use the search tool to find a doctor in your area. You can even set parameters like "expertise", "gender", and "foreign language".

Public vs private doctors

Austria has more private doctors (Wahlärzte) than public doctors (Kassenärzte). While they both offer the same levels of quality care, the difference is in the insurance coverage and availability.

Kassenärzte are free with public health insurance but often have longer waiting times and shorter consultations due to high patient volumes. Wahlärzte, on the other hand, are only partly covered by public insurance but often have more flexible appointment scheduling and longer, personalized consultations.

Who can access doctors in Austria?

Essentially, everyone in Austria has access to medical care. When you become a resident, you’ll receive your health insurance card, or e-card. This, along with a photo ID, is all you need for medical appointments with public doctors. Private doctors only require your insurance number.

Once you’ve found a general practitioner in your area, you can book an appointment to have a check-up. This way you can set yourself, and your family, up and establish a relationship with your doctor. It isn’t necessary to register in advance, but you may find it a comfort for when you do need to see a doctor. When you go to the doctor’s office, you’ll need to take the e-card and photo ID for each member of your family that you are registering.

Making an appointment

You can easily make an appointment to see a doctor in Austria with a quick phone call to the individual clinic. However, it’s important to be aware that certain specialists may require a referral from your GP. You can also book appointments online using the free service, Doctena.

Wait times

Although the standard of healthcare in Austria is high, the wait times may be long. Generally, you can expect to wait up to four days to see a GP and several weeks to see a specialist. Once you’ve arrived at your appointment, the wait time can vary. However, on average, you can expect to wait between 2 to 3 hours.

Public vs private doctors

Austria has a two-tier healthcare system, with a universal public healthcare system funded by the state, and a private system that individuals can opt to pay for.

Public Doctors

Public doctors in Austria, known as "Kassenärzte", are free with public health insurance. However, due to the high volume of patients, there are often longer waiting times and shorter consultations. The public healthcare system is funded by taxes and covers all healthcare needs, including treatment in public hospitals, medication, basic dental services, and some specialist consultations.

Private Doctors

Private doctors, or "Wahlärzte", are only partially covered by public insurance. They usually offer more flexible appointment scheduling and longer, personalized consultations. Private health insurance is typically provided as part of an employment package and allows access to a greater number of services. Private insurance can also be purchased separately to complement public health services, offering benefits such as shorter waiting times, access to exclusive physicians, and private hospital rooms.

Registration and Access

In Austria, everyone has access to medical care. Residents receive a health insurance card, or "e-card", which, along with a photo ID, is required for medical appointments with public doctors. Private doctors only require an insurance number. Tourists and visitors can also access doctors and pay at the clinic, later submitting the receipt to their insurance company.

Finding English-speaking doctors

Although most doctors in Austria speak English, you may want to find a doctor who is a native or fluent English speaker. Here are some ways to find English-speaking doctors in Austria:

Online Directories

You can search for English-speaking doctors in Austria through online directories. Here are some websites to try:

• Praxisplan: This website allows you to search for doctors by language, including English, and filter by specialty and services.
• U.S. Embassy in Austria: The U.S. Embassy in Austria provides a list of English-speaking doctors in Vienna, which can be a good starting point.
• Medical Association for Vienna: This comprehensive site provides information on doctors in all regions of Austria, as well as different medical specialisations.
• Bookimed: Bookimed provides details of doctors listed by their specialties and some information on their backgrounds.

Referrals

If you already have a primary care physician or know someone who does, you can ask them for a referral to an English-speaking doctor. This can be especially helpful if you are looking for a specialist.

International Clinics and Hospitals

Some international clinics and hospitals in Austria may have English-speaking doctors on staff. You can try contacting these institutions to inquire about their doctors' language capabilities.

Expat Communities

If you are part of any expat communities or forums, you can ask fellow expats for recommendations or referrals to English-speaking doctors in Austria. They may have first-hand experience and can provide valuable insights.

Insurance Providers

If you have international health insurance, you can reach out to your insurance provider to ask for a list of English-speaking doctors within their network. They may be able to provide you with a directory or help you locate one.

Word of Mouth

Asking around in your local community, whether it's through neighbours, friends, or colleagues, can also be a way to find English-speaking doctors. Personal recommendations can give you a sense of the doctor's style and whether they are taking new patients.

Tips for Finding a Doctor in Austria:

• It is not common for clinics to be open on weekends, so keep that in mind when searching for a doctor.
• Austria has more private doctors (Wahlärzte) than public doctors (Kassenärzte). While both offer the same quality of care, there are differences in insurance coverage and availability.
• When visiting a doctor in Austria, remember to bring your e-card (health insurance card) and a photo ID.

The cost of doctors

Austria has a two-tier healthcare system, with a comprehensive public healthcare system and the option to purchase supplementary private health insurance.

Public Healthcare

Public healthcare in Austria is funded by the state and covers virtually all health issues and medication requirements. It is available to all Austrian citizens and EU/EEA citizens. It is also accessible to students from EU/EEA countries or Switzerland with national health insurance in their home country, who can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Public healthcare is free for pensioners, spouses of workers, unemployed people on benefits, and those unable to work. For everyone else, it is funded by a health insurance tax, deducted from employees' salaries. The cost of public insurance is based on income, not individual medical history or risk factors.

Public healthcare covers four pathways: precautionary, maternity, therapeutic aids, and illness. This includes everything from vaccinations and health checks to maternity allowance and doctor visits.

For most health services, employed people and farmers benefit from free care. For outpatient visits, patients may have to pay between 10 and 20% of the overall cost for contracted physicians. Prescriptions cost around €6 per item for medicine on the "positive list".

Private Healthcare

Private healthcare in Austria offers benefits such as shorter waiting times, access to exclusive physicians, private hospital rooms, and private bathrooms.

Private health insurance is not necessary unless you want the "Special Class" features or suffer from a chronic or serious illness. The average cost is approximately €220 per month, but prices vary depending on age and the features included.

If you visit a private doctor without private insurance, you will have to pay a fee, typically between €80 and €200 for a short visit.

Cost of Doctors for Tourists

Tourists and visitors can access doctors in Austria but will have to pay at the clinic and submit the receipt to their insurance company later. A routine doctor's visit will cost between €50 and €100, but this varies depending on the region. Serious injuries, such as ski accidents, will be very expensive without travel insurance.

Emergency doctors

The EMS in Austria is made up of two major functions: emergency services and non-emergency services. Emergency services respond to immediate dangers to life and health, such as accidents or acute illnesses like myocardial infarction. In severe cases, an emergency physician (Notarzt) accompanies the EMS crew. Non-emergency services, on the other hand, arrange and perform the transport of non-emergency patients, such as those with low-acuity or chronic conditions, who do not require hospitalisation.

In addition to regular emergency and non-emergency services, Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU) are stationed in major cities for the transport of patients with serious and complex medical conditions.

The basic equipment found on EMS vehicles includes:

• Basic first aid kit
• Dressings and bandages
• Flexible stretcher
• Rigid or collapsible transport chair
• Mobile medical ventilator
• Basic diagnostic equipment, like blood pressure cuffs
• Portable defibrillator

The nationwide emergency number for EMS in Austria is 144, which can be called toll-free. Alternatively, the European emergency number, 112, can also be used but will direct callers to the nearest police station, which will then pass on the information to the EMS provider.

The average response time for EMS in cities is between five and ten minutes, while in rural areas, it is about eight to fifteen minutes.

Frequently asked questions