Facts and figures
Key Facts
The Austrian Association of Private Hospitals (VPKA) is a voluntary lobby for privately run hospitals in Austria.
- Hospitals (acute clinics, sanatoriums, special hospitals)
- Rehabilitation centers
- Nursing homes.
An overview
- Number of member companies: around 80 (including 25 acute clinics, 4 special hospitals, 17 rehabilitation clinics)
- Number of employees: over 10,000
- Number of beds: over 7,000
The majority of hospitals financed by the Hospital Financing Fund (PRIKRAF) in accordance with the rules of performance-oriented hospital financing under the LKF model are members of the Association of Private Hospitals. The majority of PRIKRAF-financed beds are provided by members of the association.
- Average length of stay*: 3.12 covering days
- The average length of stay in PRIKRAF clinics decreased by 1/3 between 2012 and 2022 (33%**).
- Over 50% of stays in PRIKRAF clinics in 2022 relate in particular to the musculoskeletal system, eyes, childbirth and nervous system*.
- Births in PRIKRAF clinics in 2022: 5,702 (births in Vienna: 2,685)
- Total hip and knee joint arthroplasty in PRIKRAF clinics*: 4.152
The association's rehabilitation clinics offer a wide range of services, particularly for neurological, orthopaedic, pulmonological, metabolic, cardiovascular, oncological, psychological, psychosomatic rehabilitation and rehabilitation for children.
*Source: PRIKRAF 2022 annual report
**Source: PRIKRAF 2012 to 2022 annual reports
Development figures 2018-2022
Source: PRIKRAF annual reports 2018 - 2022
Source: PRIKRAF annual reports 2018 - 2022
Development figures 2012-2022
Source: PRIKRAF annual reports 2012 - 2022
Source: PRIKRAF annual reports 2012 - 2022
Private hospitals in the Austrian healthcare system
The Austrian Association of Private Hospitals represents one of the main pillars of the Austrian healthcare system. Here you will find some of the most important explanations of the role, mission and financing of hospitals that are not operated by a regional authority.
Ownership and status of a hospital:
Public hospitals are hospitals that have been granted "public rights". This public status is accompanied by an obligation to operate and financing from public funds. The status as a public hospital says nothing about the ownership. Public hospitals can also be operated by non-governmental legal entities under private law and private hospitals can be operated by a regional authority. The Association of Private Hospitals in Austria consists exclusively of members that are not regional authorities.
Private hospitals have become increasingly important. The Private Hospital Financing Fund (PRIKRAF) includes 45 hospitals, although only 29 hospitals are actually billed*. In 2022, the total number of beds in the hospitals billed via PRIKRAF amounted to 4,012, with the majority of beds in hospitals belonging to association members**.
In Austria, a total of 60,739 beds are actually installed in all hospitals.***
*Source: PRIKRAF- Private Hospital Financing Fund
**Source: List of hospitals in Austria, Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection
***Source: Statistics Austria with reference to Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (population status at the beginning of the year, 2022).
Private hospitals ease the burden on the Austrian healthcare system.
This is particularly evident in the example of births. In 2022, 5,702 births took place in PRIKRAF clinics across Austria (2,685 in Vienna).
In 2022, a total of 4,152 hip and knee joint endoprostheses were performed in PRIKRAF clinics throughout Austria*. In some areas, private hospitals are systemically relevant.
Both areas (public and private) are financed via the system of performance-oriented hospital financing (LKF). There is also a significant area that is financed differently (e.g. accident hospitals and rehabilitation facilities).
Our members' rehabilitation facilities are privately run and have contracts with the Austrian social and pension insurance providers responsible for rehabilitation. This means that, as with all other rehabilitation stays, patients can submit an application for rehabilitation to the responsible insurance company via the attending physician. One of our member clinics can also be entered as the clinic of choice when applying to the relevant social insurance provider. Some member rehabilitation clinics also have a direct settlement agreement with supplementary health insurance companies.
*Source: PRIKRAF 2022 annual report
