Doctors will have to submit invoices online for reimbursement from July 1, on patients’ request. All select physicians who care for more than 300 different patients per year are affected by the regulation.
The electronic reimbursement of expenses after the selected doctor’s visit will start from Monday next week (July 1). Since then, selected doctors have to submit invoices online to the concerned health insurance company for reimbursement at the request of their patients. All of those who care for more than 300 different patients a year are affected by this regulation.
According to the Ministry of Health, this will cover 80 percent of selected doctor bills submitted to the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). The payback period should also be significantly reduced in this way. Submission takes place via software solution “WAH-Online”. Patients of select physician offices not affected by the mandatory transfer still have the option to submit invoices, it said.
Not all selected doctors are required to do this
The agreement between the Ministry of Social Affairs, the ÖGK and the Medical Association, first reported by “Standard”, aims to promote direct electronic billing. The Medical Association recently questioned whether July 1 was the deadline. The details regarding this were negotiated till the end.
According to “Standard”, the medical association had an offer in which the mandatory billing restriction was not set at a limit of 15,000 euros, which is similar to the cash register requirement. This would have affected 90 percent of all selected physician bills submitted. The current contract with more than 300 patients per year, slightly fewer selected doctors than planned by the ÖGK – should switch to the electronic exchange of payment notes.
Relief for patients
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) welcomed the “extra relief for patients”. Additionally, from 2026 onwards, selected doctors will be linked to the e-card system and ELGA to enable complete documentation of individual medical history, says Rauch.
ÖGK President Matthias Gren hailed electronic billing as “one of many measures to improve the reimbursement of selected physician costs”. For Edgar Wutscher, vice-president of the Austrian Medical Association and head of the Federal Curia, it is a “tremendous relief” for the 7.6 million insured people, adding that the agreement brings “clarity” to patients and doctors. . Additionally, Woodscher sees “a great willingness among select physicians to support their patients in getting their reimbursements faster.” (APA)
