In the reporting on the Private Hospitals Financing Fund (PRIKRAF), a number of incorrect assertions were made regarding the financing of Austrian private hospitals. The Association of Private Hospitals would like to correct these.
"It is simply wrong to claim that money is being given to private hospitals via PRIKRAF. It is about the remuneration of services provided by the clinics," says Association President Prim. Dr. Josef Macher, "PRIKRAF funds cover medically necessary treatment. They exclusively benefit the contributors to the health insurance fund."
Funds benefit contributors only
"People with private supplementary insurance pay their social security contributions like everyone else. They are therefore entitled to have their social insurance pay a share of the treatment costs," explains Macher. In all cases, without exception, these are medically necessary procedures - and not cosmetic surgery, as aesthetic procedures are not covered by the health insurance in either public or private hospitals.
Treatment in a public hospital more expensive for SV than in a private hospital
"If patients did not go to a private hospital, the same treatment would have to be carried out in a public hospital, so the health insurance fund would have to pay for it in any case," says the association president. However, treatment in a public hospital would be significantly more expensive for social insurance. When billing via PRIKRAF, significantly lower so-called service point values are applied. The health insurance fund therefore saves a lot of money and also reduces the burden on the public hospital system.
Abolition of PIRKAF is absurd
A third of Austrians have private supplementary insurance, and the trend is rising. Because the number of treatments in private clinics is increasing sharply, namely by around 16% since 2008, the PRIKRAF increase in 2018 was a necessity. Private hospitals have simply provided more services, which are compensated accordingly.
Consequently, the demand for the abolition of PRIKRAF is also highly absurd, as Macher emphasizes: "Abolition would not change the fact that the health insurance fund must pay for medical treatment if the contributors have necessarily made use of it."
About the association
The Association of Austrian Private Hospitals has represented the interests of legal entities of private hospitals since 1953 and has its own collective bargaining capacity. It represents one of the main pillars of the Austrian healthcare system.
Further information can be found at www.privatkrankenanstalten.at
Queries
Elena Reghenzani, BA
PR Officer Association of Austrian Private Hospitals
e.reghenzani@privatkrankenanstalten.at
+ 43 660 358 826 0
