Millions in debt

Tyrol’s guest patients: When the limit is reached

As a highly specialized center, Innsbruck University Hospital accepts a particularly large number of visiting patients from abroad and from other federal states. Acute problems are always treated, while planned interventions are decided on a case-by-case basis.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Anyone who lives in one federal state but is treated in another is a guest patient. Vienna has had an upper limit for these patients for some time, which has recently caused a dispute. Hospitals in the tourist state of Tyrol receive many guest patients, especially the Innsbruck University Hospital. However, it is not possible to accept all planned interventions from other federal states. This is also due to funding problems.

It's no big surprise: most guest patients in Tyrol were treated at the Innsbruck clinic in 2023. Its Medical Director Alois Obwegeser explains the high numbers in Tyrol primarily by the fact that "as a tourist destination, we have a relatively high number of acute cases". According to him, most inpatient admissions in 2023 resulted from injuries and cardiovascular diseases. However, patients also come to Tyrol for planned procedures - especially cancer treatments. "Because we are a university hospital and also specialize in highly complex procedures, we are often requested," explains Obwegeser.