In 2016, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE Health) was engaged by the Austrian Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection to undertake an efficiency review of the country’s social insurance system. The review was specifically targeted at health competencies within the social insurance system; for this reason, other forms of care covered by Federal and Länder governments, were only examined where directly applicable.
The review can be broken into four interconnected components, each led by a separate organisation: International Comparisons and Policy Options; Legal Analysis; Stakeholder Submissions; and Situational Analysis. The London School of Economics and Political Science was responsible for the International comparisons and Policy Options. The main objective was to compare the Austrian system to international experiences, and using this information, define a range of policy options to improve efficiency within the system.
This report represents Volume 1 - International Comparisons and Policy Options. The report drew upon information collected in volumes 2 to 4, as well as further analysis of reports completed by Austrian organisations and experts, and international experiences. Using this information, a range of policy options designed to improve efficiency within the Austrian social insurance system were developed.