The tug-of-war over the compensation for the examinations of the mother-child pass (in the future: parent-child pass) between the medical association on the one hand and social security and politics on the other hand should really come to an end this week. A decision will be announced on Friday, it said on Wednesday at the APA request in the Austrian Medical Association (ÖÄK). Before that, the internal decision-making process takes place in the committees.
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) had previously promised an agreement this week. The federal government’s offer was recently increased to EUR 19.75 million, after an initial commitment of EUR 17 million at the end of the previous year to cover the tariffs for examinations in the context of the mother-child raise passport.
This was intended to prevent the professional representation from terminating the health insurance contract, which had already been threatened at the time, and to achieve an increase of 77 percent. At the end of February, however, the medical association sounded the alarm again and emphasized that this would only result in an increase of 62.5 percent. The chamber justified this with the meanwhile sharply increased inflation and demanded a further 4 million euros more. Two-thirds of the mother-child pass is financed by the Family Burdens Equalization Fund (FLAF) and one-third by social security.
The mother-child passport is almost 50 years old and has made a significant contribution to reducing infant mortality in Austria. The examinations prescribed therein are obligatory in order to receive the childcare allowance in full. According to government plans, it is now to be converted into a “parent-child passport” and also digitized by 2024. The services are expanded to include psychosocial counselling, an additional midwife consultation, an additional ultrasound examination and additional hearing screening for newborns. The offer of parental advice as well as nutritional and health advice is also to be included.