Health Insurance

There are three public insurance institutions in Austria:

• ÖGK covers salaried employees earning above the marginal earnings threshold, apprentices, pensioners and other groups of people.
• BVAEB is responsible for public employees, railroads and mining.
• The SVS insures the self-employed and farmers.

The three institutions differ to some extent in the way they provide benefits and in the amount of contributions or co-payments to be made by the insured person, but are similar overall.

In Austria, every insured person, including co-insured family members, has an E-Card, a card with microchip that you must bring with you to all doctor examinations.

It serves as proof of your insurance status and gives doctors access to your electronic health record (ELGA). It is recommended that you always carry the e-card with you, as it gives you universal access to the public system of hospitals, doctors and treatment centers throughout the country.

With the e-card, doctors and pharmacists can see what medication you are taking, to avoid adverse effects from incompatible medications. It also allows your doctor to upload prescriptions electronically so that you can easily receive recurring prescriptions from your local pharmacy.

Although your data is protected, you can still opt out of the ELGA system. You can view your personal data at any time through the ELGA data portal. Another electronic ID card that is recommended for all Austrians is the ID Austria.

You can use it to easily log in to important online services, e.g. when filing your tax return with the tax office or when submitting invoices from private doctors and public insurance companies for partial reimbursement.

As a self-employed person, you are insured with the Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (SVS).

It is important to distinguish between entrepreneurs, business partner and freelancers. Self-employed persons are divided by law into businesses with a trade license and freelancers, whereas freelancers are independent employees.

Tradespeople require a trade license and pay trade tax, while freelancers are generally not subject to trade tax. Freelancers include professions such as doctors, architects, tax consultants and journalists. If you require an Austrian trade license or if you are a liable partner of an OG, KG or GmbH (various types of company in Austria), you are required to take out insurance. In principle, registering a business license automatically means that you are required to take out mandatory insurance. Under certain conditions, however, you can be (partially) exempted from compulsory insurance.

"New self-employed persons" (Neue Selbständige) who do not work with a trade license must register as soon as their gross annual income exceeds €6,221.28 (2024). If their earnings are below the marginal earnings threshold, they are subject to the same self-insurance rates as all marginally employed workers. If you are both employed and self-employed, the income from all your economic activities is added to calculate your contribution base. Your insurance depends on your highest source of income; if your salary is higher than what you earn as a self-employed person, you are insured with the ÖGK - and vice versa. If you are self-employed and are unable to work for a period of time (e.g. due to an accident) but have someone who is able to do so, you can apply for company assistance (support during the period of incapacity for work). The amount of social insurance contributions, the so-called contribution rates, varies depending on whether you are a worker, employee, apprentice, marginally employed person, etc.

Regardless of whether you are insured through ÖGK, BVAEB, SVS or self-insurance, you can co-insure your family members so that they receive the same benefits as you, provided they are also ordinarily residents in Austria.

Dependents include spouses and registered partners, children (legitimate or illegitimate, adopted or raised by single parents) as well as stepchildren and grandchildren who live permanently with the insured person in the same household.

You must pay an additional contribution to ÖGK for certain co-insured persons. This is 3.4% of the calculation basis (gross income) of the insured person.

ÖGK will check whether a contribution is payable in your case and will send you a questionnaire for this purpose. The contribution does not have to be paid in the following cases:

• The co-insured person is currently raising one or more children in the same household.

• The co-insured person has raised one or more children in the joint household for at least four years in the past.

• The co-insured relative receives a care allowance of at least level three.

• The co-insured relative cares for the insured person who receives at least level 3 care allowance.

• There is a need for social protection according to the guidelines of the Main Association. This is particularly the case if the insured person's monthly net income does not exceed the compensation allowance reference rate for married couples of €1,921.46.

• while receiving sickness benefit, maternity benefit, childcare allowance or parental leave allowance, unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance or minimum benefits.