The general practitioners explain that educating unvaccinated people often takes significantly more time and advice. Andreas Huss, chairman of the Austrian health insurance fund, announced that there should be a separate tariff so that doctors can afford to take this time in the future.

ÖGK wants to “take money into hand” for advice

Andreas Huss estimated that there is a broad network of statutory health insurance physicians of around 7,000 statutory health insurance physicians throughout Austria. “If we motivate the statutory health insurance physicians – and this includes the corresponding fees – the vaccination skeptics or the people who have not yet been convinced of this to get a consultation and to give them evidence-based and well-founded advice, then we should do it also take money in hand, ”emphasized Huss on Tuesday.

Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein has already given his approval. At the moment, the Ministry of Health is still examining whether a law is needed for approval or whether it can also be implemented by ordinance, Huss in the short term. He is hoping for implementation at the beginning of the year.

Medical Association “positively surprised” by acceptance

With the previous educational offers about the coronavirus vaccination, apparently many people could not yet be reached. Statutory health insurance physicians in particular hardly have any time for therapeutic discussions in everyday practice.

The President of the Salzburg Medical Association, Karl Forstner, was enthusiastic that his demand was accepted so quickly: “I am very positively surprised that this is now being taken up.”

Education should motivate people to vaccinate

Where both the ÖGK and the Medical Association agree, more clarification is needed on different levels. “Perhaps it also makes sense that in addition to all the additional information in the ordinations, similar to the vaccination buses, we also send information buses across the country. Perhaps communities can also organize information events on this basis. It is definitely the right path, we want to convince and win people over to do the right thing, ”added Karl Forstner.

The SPÖ also called for more information to be offered by the state of Salzburg. The red state party chairman David Egger has announced that he will submit a motion calling on the state government to start an awareness-raising platform. This information center should be non-partisan and involve experts.