As of April 1

Free corona tests in surgeries are being phased out

From Easter Monday, April 1, coronavirus tests in surgeries will no longer be free of charge. The Ministry of Health is allowing a corresponding regulation to expire. The main victims would be high-risk patients, the Medical Association has now criticized.

It pointed out that the prescription of the drug Paxlovid is linked to a positive test. If funding is not secured, patients would have to pay for a coronavirus test. 

In addition, many people would meet up with their families at Easter. "(...) Families come together, especially at Easter, and the high level of travel activity can easily lead to infection with the coronavirus. It is completely unacceptable that the Ministry of Health is discontinuing free testing on 1 April, Easter Monday (...)", criticized Johannes Steinhart, President of the Austrian Medical Association, in a press release.

Medical association wants extension
On Tuesday, the lobby group called for the federal government to give in quickly and for a long-term extension of the free tests in surgeries. These tests are still free of charge until Monday, April 1, in suspected cases, while pharmacies and other facilities are already charging for coronavirus tests. Combination self-tests with flu and RSV are now also available.