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Visits to the Doctor and Medical Services

How do I find the right doctor? What do I do in case of an emergency? And what costs does health insurance cover? This and more will be explained to you in this StartWien video on health!

Choice of Doctor and Doctor Visit

In Austria, there is a "free choice of doctor,” which means you have the right to choose your own physician freely. Basically, there are two types of doctors:

1. Panel doctors, which are free of charge for insured persons.

2. Private physicians, which you pay for yourself. The health insurance company refunds part of the costs upon application.

The most important address for many people is the family doctor (Hausarzt). As a general practitioner, they are the first point of contact for health questions and, if necessary, issue referrals to specialists or laboratories. My Tip:You can find doctors who speak your language at praxisplan.at. Enter the desired language and specialty under "Advanced search."

What Costs Does the Health Insurance Fund Cover?

The examination by a panel doctor (Kassenärztinnen) is free of charge for insured persons. The following example about Azra shows what else your health insurance covers.

Azra wakes up with severe back pain and reports sick to her employer. She is insured with ÖGK and is looking for a general practitioner. Via praxisplan.at, she finds a panel doctor who speaks her language, Serbian.

The doctor gives Azra a prescription for painkillers, a referral for physiotherapy, and a certificate of sick leave. The health insurance pays for the examination and the treatments. Azra gets the medication with a prescription at the pharmacy. By the way, the prescription is not a piece of paper but is issued electronically by the doctor. Azra only pays the prescription fee at the pharmacy.

To get an overview of the services provided by her health insurance fund, Azra goes to the ÖGK website. There she learns, among other things, that in emergencies, the health insurance fund covers rescue missions, medical transports, and stays in public hospitals.

Also covered are laboratory tests, X-rays, ECGs, sickness benefits, preventive care checks, rehabilitation, and other aids. In the case of Azra's dental treatment, the insurance company covers fillings, root canal treatments, and tooth extraction. However, Azra would have to pay for prostheses or dental crowns herself. With ÖGK, oral hygiene is only free for children and young people under 18. Adults insured with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund must pay the costs themselves. Other health insurers, such as SVS, refund part of the cost of oral hygiene, so the benefits vary depending on the health insurance fund.

My Tip: Azra can and should apply for a subsidy for her daughter's braces. In special cases, braces for children are even free.

Emergencies and Health Services

Here are the most important contacts in case of emergency: You should call emergency services (Rettung) by dialing 144 on your phone if a person has severe shortness of breath, faints, or has an accident.

For general health questions, you can call the telephone health advice service at 1450. The Ärztefunkdienst ("Physicians' Radio Service") at 141 substitutes for general practitioners at night or on weekends. If you need medication during that time, you can get it from an on-call pharmacy. You can find out which one is currently on duty at nachtapotheke.wien. Dentists and pediatricians also have emergency services, and you can find the current stand-by duty on the Internet. If you have mental health concerns, the Psychosocial Services ("Psychosozialer Dienst, PSD") of the City of Vienna can help you.

Preventive Examinations and Vaccinations

People who live healthy lives usually live longer. Preventive medical checkups are also important. From the age of 18, you can have a free annual health check. There are also recommendations such as breast mammography for women over 45 or prostate examinations for men. You can find out more about preventive care at gesundheit.gv.at.

Vaccinations can also help you stay healthy. The children's vaccination program includes free vaccinations such as mumps, measles, rubella, and diphtheria, tetanus, and polio. All questions about vaccination and the exact vaccination schedules can be found on the website impfservice.wien.

My Tip: Protect yourself with vaccinations whenever possible, and bring your vaccination certificate (Impfpass) with you to the vaccination.

Support from the Fonds Soziales Wien (Vienna Social Fund)

Among the group of people with a high need for support are elderly and frail persons as well as people with disabilities. An important point of contact for these individuals is the Fonds Soziales Wien (Vienna Social Fund). The FSW supports you with questions regarding care, support, or living with a disability.

The FSW also helps elderly people in need of care and arranges homes for the elderly as well as nursing homes. Everything about healthcare for the very young is covered in our video "Pregnancy, Birth & Parenthood."