A study by krankenversichern.at analyzed 1,601 appointment requests at Austrian statutory health insurance clinics from May 21 to September 10. Posing as new ÖGK-insured residents, researchers found waiting times rose in 8 of 14 medical specialties studied.
Internal medicine wait times rose to 65 days, while cardiology and neurology reached 45 and 50 days respectively. Conversely, gynecology, urology, and ophthalmology saw decreases. Regional peaks hit 88 days for urology in Styria and 78 days in Upper Austria.
While the number of contracted doctors rose 0.4% to 8,236 since 2000, the population grew by 1.2 million. One-third of clinics now refuse new patients. Regional median waits vary significantly, from 22 days in Vienna to 53 days in Burgenland for specialists.