Issues of general practitioner financing in Hungary and Austria

Abstract

Healthcare, and within that, general practitioner care, has traditions. The goal is to provide for members of society. In Europe, this goes more along the lines of joint burden bearing. The histories of Austria and Hungary are intertwined. However, their financing systems differ. There are differences in the sources of funding between the two countries' systems. The role of state funding is more important in Hungary, while in Austria, local funding is more important. The Austrian population is increasing slightly, whereas the Hungarian population is decreasing. This was followed by an increase in the number of general practitioners in Austria and decreasing in Hungary. In patient care in the Austrian system, the doctor is interested in performing the diagnostic tests locally, whereas in the Hungarian system, due to funding, the doctor is not interested in having them performed but rather sends the patient to central laboratories, which overloads the system. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. There is no absolutely good solution for financing.