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Page 15 of 15
Conclusions
In spite of numerous measures to influence the dynamics of growth in the Austrian health care system, the development of care provision since the early 1990s has clearly been defined by the health policy priority of extending insurance cover and maintaining access to health care services for the entire population.
A clear improvement in the health status of the Austrian population can be observed since 1970. The higher reduction of the mortality rate compared to other EU countries has been accompanied by a change of lifestyle in favour of more health conscious behaviour. These “health gains” in connection with relatively unrestricted access to service providers and institutions and combined with freedom of choice may be responsible for the fact that the satisfaction of the Austrian population with health care provision is lasting and comparatively high. Until now, the Austrian population has been confronted by neither formal waiting lists nor by explicit rationing. The high level of satisfaction and high life expectancy in combination with a relatively high level of fairness in distribution has ensured a place for Austria among the top 10 in a comparison of the performance of the health care system with other European Region countries.
The health care system in Austria, which until recently showed strong characteristics of integrated care provision, particularly in the hospital sector, has thus now developed almost completely into a supply model which is mainly based on decentrally organized contracts with all service providers.
Seen from an overall perspective, Austrian health policy is guided by a lasting consensus which transcends party politics. This states that the health care sector essentially has to be subjected to supply-side regulation by means of plans and service amounts and not on the basis of (price-) regulated competition between the heath insurance funds. The introduction of competition between health insurance funds was discussed, but unlike in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland control via mandatory membership in health insurance funds, state planning and cooperation in bodies made up of a cross-section of stakeholders were preferred.
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