The head of Austria’s public health insurance provider ÖGK, Andreas Huss, has once again called for greater regional autonomy and better funding for the public healthcare system. Speaking at a press conference in Dornbirn on Friday, Huss noted that private households in Austria have already spent €11.5 billion on healthcare in 2024 alone. “That’s unbearable. It has nothing to do with a solidarity-based health system,” he criticized.
Referring to the 2020 merger of Austria’s regional health funds, Huss described it as a “major coup” by the then conservative-far-right government. The shift in power toward employer representatives was a major shock, he said, with lasting consequences. “The Economic Chamber represents its members, not the insured population,” Huss added, arguing that employee interests are no longer a priority and that this needs to be reversed. As a representative of employees, Huss resumed the rotating ÖGK chairmanship on July 1.
No Local Representation in the Provinces
While the ÖGK has succeeded in standardizing healthcare services across the country, it has also eliminated regional health fund offices, effectively removing local accountability. “There are no longer any go-to persons in the provinces,” said Huss, who once led Salzburg’s regional health fund. He emphasized the need for regional leaders who can engage on equal footing with health officials and the medical association.
In many cases, decisions must be made locally, such as how to operate the national health hotline 1450, which varies across provinces. The same goes for establishing primary care centers or determining hospital bed capacity—areas where “regional knowledge and decision-making power” are essential, Huss said.
Provinces as Pioneers
Huss credited Austria’s provinces with driving innovation in the past. For instance, Vorarlberg introduced a colorectal cancer screening program that became a national standard. The province also led the way in improving access to psychotherapy. “That’s what happens when you have regional flexibility,” he concluded.
