Outpatient Costs Vienna 610 Million Euros Per Year

There is a significant increase in costs due to guest patients for Vienna: In 2020, the amount was still 362 million euros. The funds from the financial equalization and the costs caused by Viennese in other federal states are already taken into account. Ludwig is now once again calling for discussions on supra-regional planning.

Not only Vienna affected by additional costs due to guest patients

The demands were substantiated on Tuesday with nationwide figures from the Ministry of Health. As the mayor's office informed the APA, Vienna itself accounts for only 8 percent of all guest patients. However, 44 percent of all people in Austria who are treated in a hospital outside their main residence federal state come from Lower Austria. At the same time, Lower Austria treats only 13 percent of all guest patients.

According to the town hall, Upper Austria, Salzburg, and Tyrol are also federal states that, like Vienna, take in more guest patients than they cause. However, the extent is significantly lower according to the figures. While the category accounts for 20.4 percent of all patients in Vienna, the value is 16 percent in Salzburg, 8 percent in Upper Austria, and 7 percent in Tyrol.

It is lamented that Vienna treats 40 percent of all Austrian guest patients. The proportion of people from Lower Austria is around 80 percent. 12 percent of those affected come from Burgenland. The costs that exceed the existing agreements must be paid by Vienna from its own budget, the city criticizes.

Additional costs due to guest patients: Ludwig reaffirms demand for Eastern Health Region

Ludwig once again advocates for a joint hospital and health planning for the eastern region. "It is very important for me to emphasize: Every person deserves the best healthcare, regardless of the postal code on their registration form. People in all three federal states would benefit from a health region east," he is convinced. He invited Lower Austria and Burgenland to start discussions on this as soon as possible.

"The population in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland is so closely intertwined that even public transport is planned together. Following this example, we propose to also plan healthcare together, because this challenge can only be overcome by working together," the mayor asserted. Instead of state borders, people should be the focus. A health region east could also serve as a model for the west of the country, he noted.

Opposition also sees need for reform

The Greens welcomed the desire for a joint health region. The fact that patients from the federal states are being turned away clearly shows how urgent structural reforms are, stated party leader Judith Pühringer. The green health spokesperson Barbara Huemer suggested that the transport association could serve as a model for a health association in the eastern region. There, funding could be pooled and care placed at the center.

For the acting Vienna ÖVP leader Markus Figl, a reform is needed above all to simplify and make the health system in Vienna more efficient, as he stated in a response. The turquoise health spokesperson Ingrid Korosec also criticized: "Although the number of guest patients has been stable for years, the surgery waiting times in the hospitals of the city of Vienna are still exploding." Furthermore, according to the ÖVP, Ludwig must clarify why he agreed to the financial equalization, even though it is so disadvantageous for Vienna.

(APA/Red)

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