The higher proportion of health expenditure within the GDP results from the slow growth of private expenditure on health care, while public health spending remains practically unchanged as a proportion of the GDP (+ 0.5% points). In 1981 the private share of health expenditure was just under 24%, and at the end of the observed period, in 1996, it was already 28%.  As regards private expenditure on health, doctors’ services (+ 8.13% points) and pharmaceuticals  (+ 1.31% points) showed clear growth. For hospital services (- 3.84% points), therapeutic products (- 1.58% points) and private health insurance  (- 4.04% points) Austrian spent less money. The reason for this is the ruling by Constitutional Court that private insurers must only pay for additional benefits of premium class patients.  The abolition of the contribution to general costs previously paid led to a marked reduction in premiums and a decline of private health insurance premiums.

Increasing private health care
The trend to increasing private health care is also evident in the European Union. Between 1981 and 1996 the average public expenditure dropped 4.1% points to 77.1% of the total expenditure. In Sweden, frequently cited as an example to go by, the share of public expenditure dropped 11.7% points to 80.2%. In Germany, public expenditure on health care remained almost constant, at -0.9% points For France the figure was 1.2% points, a slight increase, as in the Netherlands with 1.8% points.

A major result of the UNIQA survey describes the health consciousness of Austrians. 60% of respondents put their own “health” at the top of their wishes for the future. But only one in four Austrians intends to do something actively for their health in 2000.

"Health consciousness and a lack of private initiative as yet among Austrians is reflected in the trend to slowly increasing private health care expenditure.  With the UNIQA VitalClub, which focuses on prophylaxis, UNIQA wishes to underline the value of health care and general health consciousness”, stated Dr. Peter Eichler, the UNIQA Personenversicherung AG Management Board member responsible.