The Austrian health care system consists of several institutions and organisations: Apart from the Austrian parliament, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, there are also the Austrian social insurance and official representations of employers and employees respectively.
The health care system is divided into two major sectors: The first one concerns the hospitals, and the second one ambulant treatment of patients outside of hospitals. In most cases the state is responsible for a corresponding legislative power. However, the legislative power of implementation and its execution in the ambulant sector is regulated by each federal state.
The health care system is financed by social insurance contribution, taxes and patient’s contribution. There exists an obligatory insurance by law for employees and self-employed people. The social insurance includes a health insurance and an accident insurance and in some cases a public pension scheme. It depends on the particular social insurance company whether a public pension scheme is included or not. Employees cannot choose their own social insurance company, because it depends on their employer and on the job location. Self-employed people may have a choice of social insurer.
In Austria, all citizens have a right to adequate medical treatment.
Please take notice of the information of the Austrian social security in various languages.