Your e-card

• The e-card is an important electronic health document with which your treatment entitlement can be determined. You will receive the card by mail when a photo of you is available. If no photo is available, you must register one (see below).
• You should always have the e-card at hand in case of an emergency and you have to present it at every visit to the doctor.
• On the card you will find your name, the 10-digit social security number consisting of 4 numbers, your date of birth, and a photo.
• The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is a proof of insurance in the EU and is located on the back of the e-card. In case of asterisks (***) on your EHIC: a minimum insurance period is required to activate the EHIC on the e-card. If this is the case, please apply for a EHIC substitute before your stay abroad to allow direct cost coverage, to receive it, contact ÖGK.

Photo registration for the e-card

In order to receive the e-card, a photo must be registered with the authorities. Register online for an appointment to then take care of the photo registration in person.

^{Note: the form is available in German only. You can use an automatic browser translation tool (German/English) to understand the form - check the language settings of your browser.}

Documents/information for the photo registration include:

• Passport (original)
• Passport photo
• Austrian insurance number (incl. in ÖGK insurance confirmation letter)

The insurance card will be sent to your registered address - this can take several weeks.

In case the e-card does not arrive within 3-4 weeks, students are advised to check with ÖGK.

ÖGK provides coverage in Austria, EU/EEA countries as well as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland. If you privately travel to any of those countries, you have to pick up a provisional substitute certificate from ÖGK PRIOR to the respective trip.

Choosing a doctor & appointments

In Austria, you choose a general practitioner (AllgemeinmedizinerIn) as doctor, whom you see when you need medical treatments or feel unwell. You can also make appointments with specialists if needed. When choosing a doctor, keep in mind that s/he should be located close to your home and that s/he must have a contract with ÖGK in order for costs to be covered.  See: Searching doctors

Terminology explained

• Kassenarzt (contract doctors): doctors have a direct billing contract with your social security provider = costs are directly covered by insurance (no pre-financing)
• Wahlarzt (private consultants): doctors have no direct billing contract with social security provider = pre-financing by patient, (partially) refunded by insurance. Doctors can set fees freely!
• Privatarzt (private specialists): non-refundable costs

Costs covered

Basic care is covered by the insurance – check with ÖGK for details. For additional treatment services such e.g. pivot tooth, glasses/lenses, etc. students check with ÖGK on possibility for partial reimbursement of costs.

Hospital care

Medical costs in general fee class (allgemeine Gebührenklasse) in a public hospital are covered. In case of overnight stays, subsistence costs are to be covered by the patient.

Psychotherapy

Under specific conditions a partial refund for psychotherapy costs is possible. Check with ÖGK for details BEFORE making any appointments.

In Austria, only pharmacies sell remedies. A lot of remedies are prescription drugs (e.g. antibiotics), which means you need a prescription from a doctor to get the remedy at the pharmacy. Nonprescription drugs can be bought at pharmacies for the full price. If a doctor prescribes a remedy (prescription or nonprescription), you only have to pay the prescription charge at the local pharmacy, which is usually less than the actual costs. For 2021, the prescription charge is 6.50 Euro per remedy (=per package). In case the actual costs for the remedy are lower than the prescription charge, you only pay the actual costs for the remedy. Pharmacies are open during regular shop opening times but also offer emergency services on weekends and after 8pm on weekdays. Note that you have to pay an additional fee if you go to a pharmacy outside of the regular opening times!

In case of a medical emergency, dial 144 (ambulance) or 112 (European emergency service number).