ÖGK invoice for medical transport: What you should check before paying

An invoice from the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) for a patient transport can unexpectedly arrive in the mailbox: the transport often took place several weeks earlier, and the billing comes later. Since July 2025 a cost contribution has been foreseen for certain planned patient transports; since early 2026 the ÖGK has been sending invoices by post. Before you pay, it’s worth briefly checking the trip, the type of transport and any possible exemption.

What is the cost contribution charged for?

The rule applies to medically necessary, planned trips when, according to the physician’s transport order, public transport or a private car cannot be used. The type of transport is decisive:

A maximum of 28 trips are charged per calendar year. Outbound and return journeys can each be considered a separate trip. The amount is based on the prescription fee: once for a taxi or ride service, twice for a patient transport with escort.

Check the invoice in five minutes

1. Compare trip data:Do the dates and number of listed trips match your appointments? A calendar, medical reports or appointment confirmations help with the comparison.
2. Check the type of transport:Were you traveling by taxi or ride service, or was a medical escort necessary? The amount per trip depends on that.
3. Treat outbound and return trips separately:Two entries on a treatment day do not automatically mean a double charge; they can be two separate trips.
4. Count the annual maximum number:According to the ÖGK, more than 28 chargeable trips per calendar year should not be charged.
5. Check exemptions:No cost contribution applies for certain people and treatments. The conditions should have been met at the time of the trip.

Who is exempt from payment?

According to the ÖGK, no cost contribution is charged, among others, for children and adolescents under 18 as well as for persons who are exempt from the prescription fee. Trips to dialysis, chemo- or radiotherapy are also excluded. Acute first-aid cases and time-critical emergencies are not part of this planned cost contribution.

It is important to distinguish between a medically necessary transport and a normal trip to the doctor. Whether patient transport is covered depends on the physician-confirmed inability to walk or to use transport. The invoice alone does not replace this medical assessment.

What to do if something is wrong?

Do not pay an unclear item hastily, but do not let the deadline on the letter pass either. Have your insurance number, invoice number, trip dates and any transport orders ready and contact the ÖGK via the official contact details on gesundheitskasse.at to the ÖGK. This way it can be clarified whether a trip was incorrectly assigned, the type of transport was confused, or an exemption was not taken into account.

Only transfer funds based on a traceable original invoice. For unusual payment details or conflicting information, you should first verify the authenticity directly with the ÖGK.

Answered briefly

Why does the invoice arrive later?

The ÖGK bills the cost contribution retroactively. Therefore, several weeks can elapse between the trip and the letter.

Does the limit of 28 trips apply to each treatment?

No. The limit refers to the trips charged within a calendar year, regardless of which planned treatment they belong to.

Where can I find the current amounts?

The prescription fee and other social insurance values are adjusted annually. For 2026 the Arbeiterkammer cites 7.55 euros per trip without and 15.10 euros with medical escort.

Read also

• Emergency checklist for families: What should really be ready at home
• Checklist for the home medicine cabinet

Quellen und weitere Informationen

• ÖGK: Information on cost contributions for transports
• ÖGK: Patient transport and medical transport
• Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich: Social law values 2026

Article image: AI-generated stock image with gpt-image-2.