Information on the Austrian healthcare system

The key stakeholders of the Austrian healthcare system at the national level are

• the Parliament,
  
• the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK),
  
• the provinces,
  
• the providers of statutory social security and the Main Association of Austrian Social Security Organizations as an umbrella organization, 
  
• Interest groups (social partners: employer and employee associations and professional interest groups) and
  
• Providers of healthcare services.

The Federal Government, with legislative and executive jurisdiction, assumes a central role. The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BSGPK) is responsible for general healthcare policy and protection of public health in particular. It drafts legislation and functions as a decision maker, a supervisory authority, and also as a coordinator among the key actors in the healthcare system. In the hospital area, legislative and executive responsibilities lie with the individual provinces.

Austria has an extensive network of healthcare institutions. According to Statistik Austria, there were 277 hospitals (123 of which were public and/or charitable hospitals) with 64,703 beds in 2012. There were also 23,562 doctors and 86,445 members of other healthcare professions practicing in Austrian hospitals.

The Austrian healthcare system is characterized by a high density of doctors. In 2012 there were 13,657 persons practicing as general practitioners and 20,834 persons practicing as specialists (including persons with multiple qualifications) and an additional 4,797 persons practicing as dentists.

For pharmaceutical care in Austria, in 2012 there was a total of 2,252 medicinal product dispensaries, including 1,303 public, 46 hospital, and 877 private pharmacies run by doctors as well as 26 chain pharmacies.

Information on the Austrian health care system can be found under the following links:

• BMSGPK:  The Austrian healthcare system
• Health portal (in German only): Our healthcare system at a glance
• Statistik Austria: Healthcare

Do you want to be treated in Austria? You can find information on Austrian healthcare institutions and healthcare service providers under Services.