Medical Association Speaks Out in Dispute Over ÖGK General Contract

According to Edgar Wutscher, Vice President of the Medical Association and Chairman of the Federal Curia of General Practitioners, the fee agreement for 2024 has not yet been completed in some federal states, and the one for 2025 is still pending for all states. In Carinthia, doctors conducted a first warning strike on Monday due to disputes with the ÖGK over fees.

Medical Association Wants the ÖGK General Contract

"We want the general contract," stated Wutscher. It was also possible to conclude nationwide contracts with the Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (SVS) and the Insurance Institution for Public Servants, Railways, and Mining (BVAEB), Steinhart noted. Wutscher believes the negotiations are on the "right track." Last week, there was a "very positive conversation" with ÖGK Chairman Andreas Huss, Health Minister Korinna Schumann, and Health State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (both SPÖ). They intend to enter further discussions "very soon." The goal is uniform services and fees for all of Austria.

As early as 2020, the Medical Association developed a unified service catalog that combined modern services in the outpatient sector, said Steinhart. However, it was not possible to hold discussions with the ÖGK at the official level to further develop it, Wutscher added. The catalog should not only showcase services but also be based on a fee system. Based on the service catalog, the Medical Association can already offer fee calculations for some specialist groups.

Product Health Insurance Contract "Broken"

The recommendation in a draft report by the Court of Audit to disempower the regional medical associations - their approval for the general contract should no longer be necessary - is met with incomprehension by the Medical Association. "I will not be made the scapegoat," said Dietmar Bayer, Deputy Federal Curia Chairman of General Practitioners. The regional chambers have been the guarantor for the implementation of the "excellent healthcare system" over the past decades.

The product health insurance contract, on the other hand, is "broken," and young doctors do not choose the model for economic reasons. The ÖGK must reform the contract to fulfill its service mandate, Bayer said. The rates for services have risen below the inflation rate, Steinhart countered the argument that doctors earn a lot. Rather, increases in fees are due to frequency increases - the population is getting older, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have been visiting practices more often. General practitioners are also entrepreneurs, Wutscher emphasized. He criticized the "disruptive fire" against elective doctors - instead, a way must be found to make health insurance contracts more attractive.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.