Austria
Summary
Treatment is restricted authorized medical professionals and the use of CAM by health personnel is restricted within "the state of art" of medicine (ref 1).
Professionals and non-professionals
Authorized health personnel
According to the Law of Physicians (1998) and laws regulating other health professions, only authorized medical professionals are allowed to carry out medical acts. According to the Federal Medical Law the acts of medicine includes all activities based on medico-scientific knowledge carried out directly on human beings performed for the purpose of diagnosis, treatment, prophylaxis, ect. According to this law, only physicians are allowed to treat. Special laws may give permission to other professions to practise definite kind of medicine.
According to the law only methods, which are scientifically recognised, and methods with experienced medical effects may be provided. The Expert Medical Board has advised the Ministry of Health that acupuncture and neuraltherapi may be practised. However, physicians are allowed to use medical techniques as they desire, provided considered "the state of the art" and in an agreement with their patients.
Supervising authorized health personnel
According to the Law of Physicians, the Medical Federation is authorizing and supervising the physicians. Patients may address complains to "The Chamber of physicians" who will investigate the matter. The chamber may in serious matter withdraw the authorization of a physician if the law is violated, but very few physicians are loosing authorization (0-1 pr year). Most of the complaints are addressed to The Ombudsman and settled that way.
Anybody may not treat-
Treatment is restricted to authorized health personnel
The practise of medicine without a legal qualification is an offence. There are no specific legal regulations of CAM in the country. According to art.184 of the Penal Code, unskilled persons practising medicine or activities reserved for physicians, risk imprisonment up to three months or a fine. Anyhow, non-health CAM providers do offer their treatment in Austria.
Reimbursement
In Austria there is a compulsory social insurance system and a system of private insurance. Complementary medicines are generally not covered by public insurance. But the social insurance may decide to cover CAM in some specific cases. Special cases are when scientifically proved medicine is of little use and the CAM treatment has been experienced being a better choice. Some private insurance companies cover complementary medicines.
References
1. Reference where nothing else is noted: Federal Ministry of Health and Women, Meeting Vienna 28.04.05
