He paid particular attention to the medical association, which has repeatedly been criticized in recent days. Rauch attested to the medical association being an important interest group, well networked and a tough negotiator: “It’s very much about preservation, less about shaping.” As Minister of Health, it’s not his job to represent the interests of the professional groups, but those of the patients.
Rauch wants to use the time until the end of the year for reforms as part of the financial equalization negotiations. If there is then no willingness to reform, one will have to consider how to get individual negotiating partners to comply. “We cannot afford an endless continuation of the state of equilibrium,” said Rauch.
“I don’t understand the resistance of the medical association”
In doing so, the Minister of Health also alluded to the criticism recently leveled at the Medical Association by Burgenland’s Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ), that they were blocking the doctors’ on-call services at night and at weekends as well as the open cash registers – more on this in Burgenland. ORF.at. According to the law, the Medical Association is responsible for setting up an emergency and on-call service. Doskozil wants to reduce the power of doctors’ representatives.
Rauch relies on negotiations for the time being. In any case, a clear yes came to the question of whether he wanted to push for an end to the veto of the medical association on the establishment of primary care centers. EUR 100 million in EU funding is available for the primary care centres. Nevertheless, instead of the planned 75, there are only 39 of these facilities. Rauch: “I don’t understand the resistance of the doctors.”
Medical Association wants more attractive framework conditions
The Chamber of Physicians also sees a need for reform in the healthcare system and called for more attractive framework conditions for all healthcare professions. ÖÄK Vice President Harald Mayer said he missed “specific things” from the Ministry of Health when it came to constructive ideas and the willingness to implement them “within the scope of the financial possibilities”. In any case, the medical association is ready for reforms.
However, she reacted with outrage to Doskozil’s criticism. This discredits an entire profession and shakes the entire social partnership. “Any reform that does not include the doctors who are most affected is doomed to fail from the outset,” said Johannes Steinhart, President of the Medical Association (ÖÄK), and insisted on being involved in the financial equalization negotiations. Fiscal equalization involves the annual distribution of around 90 billion euros in tax revenue between the federal, state and local governments.
The Austrian health insurance fund (ÖGK) also criticized the medical association. Employee representative Andreas Huss cited several negative examples of cooperation with the Medical Association in a broadcast. This prevents, for example, the expansion of pediatric outpatient clinics in Vienna, and resists alternative forms of care such as outpatient clinics and cooperation with hospitals: “The Medical Association uses its veto rights here to create an imbalance in supply and demand and use this to their advantage now.” High demand and low offer led to higher fees.
countries not in line
On Thursday, some country representatives met to agree on the content of the negotiations. Doskozil, as chairman of the state governors’ conference, emphasized a “closed and cross-party” approach. However, there should not be complete agreement. The Tyrolean governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP), for example, supported the medical association after Doskozil’s criticism. This is an “essential partner” with “quite a lot of influence” and recognizes the “problem situations that we have in the country”.
“Worrying trend” among panel doctors
One of the major issues in the healthcare system is the growing proportion of doctors of choice at the expense of health insurance companies. On Thursday, the Medical Association started a petition about open cash registers with demands for a reduction in bureaucracy, new working time models and remuneration systems. There are currently 300 vacancies across Austria, 176 of them in general medicine and 124 specialists. The medical association spoke of a “worrying trend”.
The ÖGK rejected the numbers. 97 percent of all cash register positions are currently occupied. 99 general practitioner positions and 72 specialist positions are open. However, Rauch also sees a need for reform in health insurance companies. The established sector, and above all the cash registers, must be made more attractive via tariffs, quality assurance and uniform service catalogues.
