Health Expenditure following the "System of Health Accounts" for Austria

Summary

Strengths: The data is internationally comparable (though limited as each country adapts the ICHA system to suit its needs and available data). Weaknesses: Disaggregated data is not publicly available.

Type of data

Data Source
Registry + Survey

Type of Study
Other: Annual health accounts data series (OECD System of Health Accounts, SHA)

Data gathering method
Other: Secondary data from registries and surveys compiled from: national accounts statistics and financial management, social welfare institutions, Private Hospitals Financing Fund (PRIKRAF), health care institutions (KFA), university hospitals, Federal Ministry of Defense, Social Fund of Vienna, Main Association of Austrian Social Insurance Institutions (Hauptverband), Insurance Association (VVO), Association of Pharmacists, Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Welfare and Consumer Protection (BMASK), University of Economics, Vienna.

Access to data

Conditions of access

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Aggregate data

Formats available
Excel tables

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Austria has collected data according to OECD SHA for 8 years (since 2005). Reference year lags two years behind the current year (e.g. The reference year for 2013 is 2011). The sample is comprised of the entire Austrian population (according to residential/household units).

First year of collection
2005

Stratification if applicable

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
By state (Bundesland)

Age range
Age groups from under the age of 1 to 85 and above

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Data collected on health expenditure by age and gender, and care provider (in-patient, out-patient, home care, day care). Corresponds to Health and Performance and Social Systems and Welfare Topics

Linkage

Standardisation
ICHA (International Classification of Health Accounts)

Possibility of linkage among databases
Linked to Austrian National Accounts

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Not reported

Breaks
New ICHA codes in some program areas of the SHA were introduced in 2011, but this should not affect the aggregate data on health expenditure by age and gender presented in the tables (Table 7).

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
New ICHA codes in some program areas of the SHA were introduced in 2011, but this should not affect the aggregate data on health expenditure by age and gender presented in the tables (Table 7).

Governance

Contact information
Michael Gmeinder and Daniela Pöschl
Statistik Austria
Guglgasse 13
1110 Vienna Austria Phone: +431711287662/ +431711288119
Email: daniela.poeschl(at)statistik.gv.at / michael.gmeinder(at)statistik.gv.at
Url: http://www.statistik.at/web_de/statistiken/gesundheit/gesundheitsausgaben/index.html

Timeliness, transparency
The health expenditure data is revised and made publicly available annually at the end of February, including minor revisions on the basis of updated data and improved expenditure estimates. Table 7 (health expenditure by gender and age) for the years 2010 and 2011 has not yet been published online, but will be available in 2013/2014.