An appeal from the "Krone"

Enough with the blah blah blah: you must act now!

The nine heads of the federal states must finally deliver together - and together with Minister Korinna Schumann (center) find a way for the benefit of patients.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com null, LMS, BARBARA GINDL, EXPA, Manhart Eva, Helge Bauer, OÖVP, Pail Sepp, urbantschitsch mario, NLK Khittl)

People are dying and politicians are running from one "summit" to the next. They have been arguing and watching for too long. The jungle of competencies in health policy must finally be cleared. 

After incidents like the recent one in Upper Austria, the country is in a state of alarm. What is going on in our healthcare system? The "Krone" received many outraged and concerned messages. The demand for restrictive and swift action is unmistakable. The time for talking is over. Here are some key points:

Untangling federalism.
Gemeindebund President Johannes Pressl and Salzburg's Governor Karoline Edtstadler reignited the debate about shifting healthcare competencies from the federal states to the federal government. This is meeting with resistance. It is clear that clearly defined areas of responsibility are needed. In Lower Austria, for example, four state councillors from three parties are involved in health agendas. Absurdistan sends its regards.

Overcoming borders. 
For a long time, there have been discussions, particularly in the east, about the care of guest patients from the surrounding areas of Vienna in the federal capital. Solutions are on the table. It's all about money again. Vienna was recently left sitting on more than 600 million euros in just one year because the amount negotiated in the financial equalization scheme was insufficient. Thinking in terms of national borders must be overcome and funding from a single source must be guaranteed. Services must be paid for where they are best, most efficient and most cost-effective.

Leseraufruf

Was haben Sie schon erlebt?

Weichen Sie längst auf teure Wahlärzte aus, weil Sie keine Zeit zu verlieren haben? Sind Sie mit den angebotenen Behandlungen (un)zufrieden? Wie viel zahlen Sie monatlich in das System der Krankenkassen ein – und bekommen Sie genug dafür? Wo muss das Gesundheitswesen dringend sparen und wo muss viel mehr Geld hineingepumpt werden? Wurden Sie Opfer einer falschen Behandlung, eines Kunstfehlers, oder wo wurden Sie sensationell gut versorgt? Was haben Sie erlebt mit Ärzten, Pflegern, der Rettung – gutes wie weniger gutes. 

Schreiben Sie uns, was Sie bewegt?

Mails an: [e-mail] Betreff: Gesundheit. Oder: Kronen Zeitung, Wien-Redaktion, Muthgasse 2, 1190 Wien.

Doing instead of talking. 
 The ÖGK and the Medical Association, as well as the provinces and the federal government, are at odds with each other and are cooking their own soup. With an unpalatable result. A system characterized by arbitrariness and inefficiency. It is high time to think about healthcare from the patient's perspective. They are the ones who finance this system.

Health insurance contracts. 
It is unacceptable that a health insurance cardiologist in Burgenland charges different rates for the same service than his colleague ten kilometers away in Lower Austria. We finally need uniform service catalogs and fair conditions for everyone.

Limiting the proliferation of elective doctors.
Of course, this is only possible with more health insurance contracts - even if this means that some doctors switch from hospitals to private practice. At the same time, there must be an end to the dual track, where someone works 20 hours in hospital and earns extra money as an elective doctor.

Patient guidance. 
 As is well known, the issue is to be addressed by expanding the emergency number 1450, which is still known from the times of the coronavirus pandemic. It is to be developed into a "health navigation system" for the whole of Austria as early as 2026. Lower Austria, where the service was already well established before the pandemic, is a prime example. In other states, such as Styria, it works less well.

Improve bed, staff and data management. 
 Experts criticize the lack of efficiency in the use of resources in a very expensive healthcare system. This ranges from too few medical staff in certain hospitals to a lack of beds and emergency teams. Corona has also revealed a major weakness. The inadequate networking of hospital and regional data. It still is in some cases. This opens up danger zones in acute cases like the one in Upper Austria. Where every second can make the difference between life and death.