[National Health Care Plan for Austria: development and critical considerations]

Compared to health services in other countries in the world, the Austrian health care system works relatively well. At the moment it is shaped and dominated by various structures, decision makers and financial backers, which means that it does not work as well as it could under ideal circumstances. The government now wants to develop a national health care plan which, in a concerted action by all those involved in the health service, shall guarantee superior medical care while at the same time taking into account economic aspects. This paper takes a critical look at the idea of an Austrian health care plan from a clinical point of view.