Parental Support in the Hospital: Vienna with Highest Costs
While some federal states have at least capped the costs, they remain high in others - especially in Vienna, criticized the association KiB (Children in Care, note) Children Care on Wednesday in a press release.
For families with seriously ill or chronically ill children, this means a significant financial burden. KiB Children Care has now conducted a comparison of the federal states. It showed that Upper Austria is the most social, Lower Austria - which was at the negative peak two years ago - has also become more social and has reduced costs. Vienna, on the other hand, remains at the bottom.
In Lower Austria, the accompanying costs have been limited to 14 days, and they are now completely waived for the care of children with disabilities or chronic illnesses. Additionally, children up to the age of three are exempt from the fees. From this age, the costs vary depending on age between 14.43 and 43.40 euros per day. While Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, and Burgenland kept their rates stable, there was an increase of about 14 percent in Tyrol and Carinthia, and costs rose by five percent in Vorarlberg.
Sick Children: Accompanying Costs Highest in Vienna
In Vienna, the accompanying costs are still limited to 14 days per calendar year, and children up to the age of 3 are free of charge. But after that, the costs rise sharply: For three to six-year-olds, one pays 45.10 euros per day, for those over 14 years old, 96.69 euros per day. According to KiB Children Care, there has also been a massive increase in Vienna in recent years. Since 2023, prices have been increased by almost 20 percent. A 14-day hospital stay can thus cost parents up to nearly 1,400 euros. For longer stays that extend into the next calendar year, even higher costs arise. It is further complicated by the fact that the fees must be paid in advance directly on site at the time of admission.
"This regulation is unacceptable. The costs that social security would have to cover here are minimal. However, families with chronically ill or disabled children already face enormous financial and emotional burdens - for them, these fees are an existential threat," said KiB Managing Director Johanna Part. Additionally, parents relieve hospital staff and contribute to the faster recovery of their children.
EACH Charter to Regulate Rights
Actually, the European Association for Children in Hospital (EACH), an organization advocating for the rights of children in hospitals across Europe, initiated a charter. Its goal is to ensure that children in hospitals have the right to be accompanied by their parents or another caregiver at all times - without financial burden. Parents should be actively involved in the care of their child and receive sufficient support to best accompany their children. Although this charter is recognized by the Ministry of Health, the reality is different, criticized KiB Children Care.
KiB had now asked all parties running for election in the Vienna State Parliament for a statement. The Greens, FPÖ, and ÖVP spoke out in favor of easing the accompanying costs. According to the association, there had been no response from the governing parties SPÖ and NEOS despite repeated inquiries.
"It cannot be that parents are financially burdened in an already emotionally difficult situation. The high accompanying costs in Vienna hospitals are anti-family and unsocial," criticized the Vienna People's Party state parliament members Ingrid Korosec and Kasia Greco. The two demand that the Vienna State Parliament clearly advocate for an immediate reduction in accompanying costs for parents in Vienna hospitals. Furthermore, the Vienna state government is called upon to present a corresponding draft regulation that ensures significant relief for the affected families.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.