Bleak outlook

Health insurance companies: €265 million loss expected

(Bild: chokniti | stock.adobe.com)

Austria's health insurance companies are expecting a continuous decline until 2028, with a deficit of 264.7 million euros expected for this year. Chairman Andreas Huss is calling for more money, saying that the additional 300 million euros per year from financial equalization is "far" too little due to new tasks.

For 2025, the umbrella organization of social insurance institutions expects a balance sheet loss of 220.6 million euros "under unchanged framework conditions", for 2026 it is 204.3 million euros, for 2027 a minus of 232.6 million euros is expected and for 2028 a minus of 266.2 million euros.

649.3 million euro deficit in the previous year
According to provisional figures, there was still a deficit of 649.3 million euros in 2023, with a net additional 248 million euros per year from the financial equalization for the years 2024 to 2028. "However, these funds will be used to cover additional services, meaning that no significant financial consolidation effect is to be expected," the press release states.

Symbolic image

(Bild: P. Huber)

Population is getting older, hospitals need relief
According to Friday's press release, ÖGK's deficit in 2023 was almost 400 million euros, with further losses totaling around 450 million euros being factored into the budget forecast up to 2028. "This proves that the health insurance system needs additional money at a time of population growth, an ageing population and a wider range of tasks, including the necessary hospital relief," said ÖGK Chairman Huss, who as an employee representative will also chair the umbrella organization of social insurance companies in the second half of 2024.

The additional funds from the financial equalization are not sufficient, after all, some of the funds have already been earmarked for new tasks (including a uniform overall contract, 300 primary care centers, funds for vaccinations, health promotion, ELGA expansion). This leaves only 233 million euros net as additional funds for social health insurance, while the ÖGK itself will receive around 184 million euros in fresh money after distribution among the health insurance providers ÖGK, the Insurance Institution for Public Employees, Railways and Mining (BVAEB) and the Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (SVS). "These additional funds are nowhere near enough to finance the additional tasks mentioned," says Huss.

One billion euros is required
He insisted on an additional one billion euros per year, as demanded by the employee representatives "to strengthen solidarity-based care". This would be the only way to significantly reduce private co-payments for elective doctors and private health insurance, for example.