Image: (Daniel Scharinger)
The curia of resident doctors has not yet announced the termination of the health insurance contract threatened by the medical association on Wednesday, but remains in the room. An offer submitted by politicians or social security is not enough for the professional representation, they demand further discussions.
Offer of social security increased
At the end of the previous year, the federal government had pledged a budget of 17 million euros to raise the tariffs for examinations as part of the mother-child pass, which have not been validated since the end of the 1990s. This was intended to prevent the termination of the contract that had already been threatened at the time and to achieve an increase of 77 percent. At the end of February, however, the medical association sounded the alarm again and emphasized that this would only result in an increase of 62.5 percent. The chamber justified this with the meanwhile sharply increased inflation and demanded a further 4 million euros more.
Now the offer of social security has been increased. As the chairman of the umbrella organization, Peter Lehner, explained, the 17 million were increased to 19.75 million euros. Lehner explained in the Ö1 “Mittagsjournal” that the tariffs for doctors could have been increased by 75.06 percent for all positions with the exception of ultrasound.
Still many open questions
The offer shows “a little movement, but still contains many open questions. These must be clarified with the Ministry of Health in substantial discussions, together at one table,” Edgar Wutscher, Vice President of the Medical Association and Federal Curia Chairman of the resident doctors, called for further negotiations. One is always available for talks, but it is still “pointed to the point,” says Wutscher, who warned that there was still a valid decision to terminate the contract at the end of March, if it was by then come to no agreement. The contract termination would then take effect at the end of June. For patients, this could mean that they would have to pay for the examinations as a private service – with the option of a subsequent partial refund.
However, this does not necessarily have to happen in the event of a contract termination. In any case, Lehner announced that he would go to the Federal Arbitration Commission in the event of a rejection by the Medical Association. There, independent judges would decide whether the offer was sufficient and whether the contract was still valid, explained the head of the umbrella organization.
End of the “threatening scenarios”?
The health and family ministries turned against the recent threats from the medical association, they referred to the offer, which has now been increased by another 2.75 million euros. The two departments expect that the “threat scenarios” of the medical association “will finally come to an end, because it is our common task – including that of the doctors – to ensure the health of mothers and children. Nobody wants the contracts to be terminated, That’s why we have increased the already agreed offer again. The federal government has now demonstrated its will several times,” said a joint statement by the two ministries. With regard to financing, it was emphasized that “the final offer” was now on the table. Nevertheless, the two departments announced further detailed talks that would take place “soon”.
Doctors are pushing for further negotiations
In any case, the medical association is pushing for further negotiations. “In terms of the care of mothers and children, our patients, whose well-being we feel obliged to do as doctors, we are now finally calling for substantial discussions,” said Dietmar Bayer, deputy federal curia chairman. The Medical Association emphasizes that it is not just about the money, but that many points are open. The desired digitization and the expansion of services are mentioned.
Services are to be expanded
The government has announced that it will convert the yellow booklet introduced in 1974 into a “parent-child passport” and digitize it by 2024 and expand its services. The services are to be expanded to include psychosocial counseling, another midwife consultation, an additional ultrasound examination and additional hearing screening for newborns. The offer of parental advice as well as nutrition and health advice should also be included. With digitization, the documentation of the test results should be significantly improved. This should make it easier to pass on findings between treating physicians and midwives in electronic form.
The mother-child passport is almost 50 years old and has made a significant contribution to reducing infant mortality in Austria. Around 80,000 children are born in Austria every year, 50,000 of them are firstborns. The examinations prescribed in the mother-child passport are obligatory in order to receive the childcare allowance in full.
Source: Nachrichten
