!!!Krankenversicherung

Health Insurance, guarantees compensation for medical expenses and 
loss of earnings during sickness or maternity. It also provides 
measures for the prevention and early diagnosis of diseases by way of 
medical examinations and health programmes. Nearly all Austrians are 
insured under the General Social Insurance Act ( Allgemeines 
Sozialversicherungsgesetz, (ASVG)) and other social insurance laws. 
Persons without compulsory health insurance can obtain private 
insurance under the ASVG. Health insurance for employees is mainly 
administered by regional health insurance agencies 
(Gebietskrankenkassen) and by the insurance agencies for civil 
servants (BVA) and railway employees.

\\
Insurance benefits cover medical care by physicians, drugs and devices 
supporting the healing process. The insured person has a right to 
medical care in a public hospital ( hospitals) or to home care. The 
relations between insurance agencies and public hospitals are 
regulated by contract, but public hospitals are compelled to treat 
patients referred by insurance carriers. Social insurance institutions 
pay a lump sum per patient to the provincial hospital finance funds of 
the performance-related hospital financing system (LKF).

\\
Health insurance also includes compensation for dental treatment and 
dentures as well as benefits in case of disability (subsidies for 
devices). If the employed is unable to work due to illness, he/she has 
the right to sickness benefits - according to the ASVG - for a time of 
about 26 weeks, which can be prolonged to 78 weeks.

\\
Under the ASVG health insurance is financed from contributions, which 
amount to 6.4% for salaried employees, 7.4% for blue-collar workers, 
and by an additional contribution of 0.5%. Employees and employers 
have to pay half of these contributions respectively. In order to 
alleviate the financial burden of health insurance agencies, retention 
has to be paid for some services, e.g. prescription fees; insurance 
certificate fees by salaried employees and blue-collar workers, 20% 
retention fees for medical treatment by civil servants and 
self-employed, as well as for farmers and others.

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''Historical background:'' Forerunners of health insurance were local 
self-help groups. A decree issued by the imperial chancellery in 1837 
required employers to pay for the hospital treatment of their 
employees for four weeks, the General Mining Law of 1854 made the 
establishment of common insurance agencies for miners ("Bruderladen") 
compulsory, the commercial code of 1859 required owners of large and 
dangerous enterprises to introduce health insurance agencies at 
company level. The Vienna Workers' Education Society (Wiener 
Arbeiterbildungsverein), founded in 1867, had a section for the 
support of the sick, which was merged with general health insurance in 
1928. In 1887 accident insurance was prescribed by law, and on March 
30, 1888 (in force from August 1, 1889) a law on social health 
insurance was passed. In 1917 family insurance and maternity 
allowances were introduced. Health insurance for civil servants was 
laid down in a law in 1920, that of salaried employees in 1926 
(together with old age pensions and unemployment benefits), health 
insurance for blue-collar workers (without old age pension and 
unemployment benefits) was introduced in 1927 and for agricultural 
workers in 1928. In 1933 company insurance agencies took over the 
function of the "Bruderladen", in 1935 a law on social insurance in 
commerce and trade was passed, providing for new regulations of the 
insurance for blue-collar workers and salaried employees (benefits 
were cut). On January 1, 1939 the German laws (including old-age 
pensions and unemployment benefits for workers) entered into force; 
they were taken over by Austria in 1945. In 1948 social insurance was 
reorganised. The General Social Insurance Act (ASVG), which took 
effect on January 1, 1956, provided for new regulations. Health 
insurance for farmers was introduced in 1965, for tradesmen and 
craftsmen in 1966.

!Literature
M. Binder in: T. Tomandl, System des oesterreichischen 
Sozialversicherungsrechts (loose-leaf collection).


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