Pain Therapy Covered by Insurance: New Center Opens in Vienna-Meidling

The facility was established by the health insurance fund ÖGK in cooperation with the General Accident Insurance Institution (AUVA), the Insurance Institution for Public Servants, Railways and Mining (BVAEB), and the Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (SVS) at the AUVA Trauma Center Vienna-Meidling.

Almost 2 Million Austrians with Chronic Pain: "Gap in Care Closed"

Up to 1.8 million people in Austria suffer from chronic pain. "Chronic pain is not only a widespread but often also an underestimated problem with enormous long-term impacts on the lives of those affected and society. Today's opening of the pain center is therefore a milestone for Austrian healthcare - for the first time, we can offer urgently needed services in the field of pain therapy at the expense of the insurance fund together with AUVA," said Peter McDonald, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ÖGK, in a statement. According to Roland Frank, the Medical Director of AUVA, a "gap in care" has been closed.

The pain center is operated by an interdisciplinary team of specialists and therapists who have special additional training in the treatment of chronic pain. "In our pain center, experienced specialists from the fields of anesthesiology, trauma surgery, neurology, psychiatry, physical medicine, radiology, clinical psychology, and physiotherapy work hand in hand to develop individually tailored therapy plans," explained Roman Ullrich, Head of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the Trauma Center Vienna.

Two More Pain Centers in Vienna by 2025, Expansion to Other Federal States Planned

The center in Meidling is the first of a total of three planned publicly funded pain centers in Vienna. This year, the pain center in Vienna-Landstraße will be opened, followed by a third center in Floridsdorf or Donaustadt. "Our goal: Every federal state should have a specialized pain center so that all patients - regardless of their place of residence - have access to modern pain therapy," demanded Richard Crevenna, Head of the University Clinic for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine at MedUni Vienna and Vice-President of the Austrian Pain Society.

(APA/Red)

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