The Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) wants to take action against doctors who deny Corona or who reject the vaccination. For such doctors, ÖGK chairman Andreas Huss announced the withdrawal of the health insurance contract on Thursday. He has little understanding when doctors speak out against the vaccination. This is the only way to get out of the pandemic. Overall, Huss named three possible tracks: If patients are harmed, criminal law could apply. Furthermore, there are disciplinary proceedings by the Medical Association that extend to the prohibition of practicing the profession. And finally, the withdrawal of the contract.
A current case is that doctor in Hallein who, as reported, is said to have prescribed a patient with a worming agent. The patient died. Here one will proceed “quickly and with full force,” said Huss. First of all, it is a matter of securing evidence that will be handed over to the public prosecutor’s office. If the suspicion was confirmed, the health insurance contract would be gone.
Huss criticized politicians for not having accepted the offer of the ÖGK to carry out corona vaccinations through their facilities. Only Carinthia made full use of the health insurance structure, Vienna used the outpatient clinics.
ÖGK general director Bernhard Wurzer strongly criticized the protests of the vaccination opponents. The 5000 employees of the ÖGK health facilities and all other employees in the health system did not deserve to be threatened.
The occasion of the press conference was the review and outlook of the ÖGK, which has existed for two years and which arose from the controversial turquoise-blue cash mergers. In terms of the harmonization of services for the insured, “giant steps” have been made, Huss referred to the conclusion of the framework agreement with the professional associations for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Psychotherapy as a uniform health insurance benefit was brought forward by a year. The therapeutic aids have also been harmonized upwards.
“We don’t have the money”
A harmonization of medical services is still open; there are still nine different contracts with the state medical associations. That should be tackled in 2022, said Huss. He left it open whether it would be a general contract or nine national contracts. He also doesn’t believe that the same fees will be paid everywhere. And: “We won’t be able to pour out the cornucopia on the doctors. We don’t have the money.”
Source: Nachrichten
