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Inquiry shows: huge rush to elective doctors

Long waiting times and hardly any appointments: Because there are fewer and fewer doctors with a health insurance contract, the number of elective doctor invoices at the health insurance fund has exploded. (symbolic image)

(Bild: Jeff Mangione)

More and more Upper Austrians would rather pay a higher fee than wait months for an appointment. A parliamentary inquiry shows how much the numbers have risen. The "Krone" took a close look at the answer and found something astonishing.

The shortage of pediatricians - especially in urban areas - has been lamented for years. And anyone looking for a gynecologist or general practitioner can easily despair. A situation that many Upper Austrians are no longer willing to accept. More and more Austrians are therefore switching to an elective doctor without a health insurance contract - and paying for it.