Internal criticism

“The health insurance fund can’t manage”

Chairman Thom Kinberger is not sparing with his criticism: "Insured persons in Salzburg are paying the price."(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Thom Kinberger takes a swipe at the headquarters of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund in Vienna: Instead of the widely proclaimed savings of one billion euros, the Salzburgers would firstly have transferred 200 million to Vienna and the debts would increase to one billion.

The first administrative period of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund has come to an end and Salzburg's provincial chairman Thom Kinberger is severely critical: "The ÖGK can't manage. Insured persons in Salzburg are paying for it."

The much-heralded savings potential of one billion was never exhausted after centralization. After the reserves from Salzburg during the merger, surpluses are now also constantly flowing to Vienna. "The Salzburg policyholders have already transferred a total of more than 200 million euros to Vienna.

And the ÖGK is still not managing to expand its services," complains Chairman Kinberger and calls for more autonomy in the provinces. The forecast is gloomy: by 2028, the ÖGK's deficit will grow to over one billion euros.