The Austrian health insurance system generally provides for access to medical treatment (doctor’s visit) and hospital stays largely free of cost. 
Prevention and rehabilitation measures as well as curative treatments are also defrayed by the social insurance provider, at least on a pro-rata basis. Each prescription carries a fee, the fee gets adapted every year. Some social insurance institutions  - the insurance institution for self-employed SVS and the insurance for public services -  charge a deductible of 20% on medical services. The scope of services paid by the different insurance providers differs – e.g. dental treatment. Not all physicians have a contract with all health insurance providers. Services provided by doctors without a contract may be claimed and settled retrospectively – although only on a shared basis – with the health insurer. Medical services rendered privately must be paid by the insured persons themselves (unless they have taken out special private insurance).

Patients are required to pay a defined amount for each day of hospitalisation. This amount is determined and collected by the providing entity (e.g. land, local authority) and differs in each land. 

Compulsory insurance applies to
- Employed persons whose income exceeds the marginal earnings threshold
- Self-employed persons whose income exceeds the marginal earnings threshold
- Recipients of unemployment benefits
- Recipients of an old-age pension
- Family members of the above groups

Voluntary self-insurance is available for everybody – and highly recommended for marginally employed persons!