Frequently Asked Questions
What are your prices?
Phices are based on therapy duration and irrespective of therapy type including massage, joint mobilisation and exercise prescription.
30 min. - €65 (Shorter 30 minutes appointments are available on request.)
45 min. - €95 ( This is the typical appointment duration.)
60 min. - €125 ( Standard initial or complex follow up)
With an approved doctors referral you can claim back approximatley 40% of the session cost. This depends on your insurance and what exactly you have been prescribed for treatment. 80-100% with private health insurance. See below for more details.
Health insurance coverage?
Physiotherapy is refunded slightly differently by each of the different e-card (Austrian insurance) providers. Your insurance provider is determined by your employer. The largest insurance provider the ÖGK (Österreichisches Gesundheitskasse) refunds €35 - €41 for a 45 minute session and €48 - €54 for a 60 minute session. The amounts for the BVA (State employed), SVS (Self employed) are also very similar. This effectivley covers 40% of what I charge assuming you have a prescription for physiotherapy to unlock your eligibility.
Can I claim after each appointment?
Yes, Both the ÖGK and SVS allow you to claim after each appointment.
What is the procedure for physiotherapy?
1) Get a referral from a doctor (Family doctor/GP or specialist).
2) Make an appointment (see below for more detail) and bring your referral along with you to your first appointment.
3) Claim. You can claim after each appointment or once at the end.
Do I need pre-approval from my insurance?
No. For the past three years it has not been necessary to gain pre-approval. As long as Physiotherapy or Einzelheilgymnastik is written on the referral there should be no prolems. The one exception to this is the KFA currently.
Do you offer home visits?
Yes, but only in close proximity to our ‘beaktiv’ practice or my home near Kardinal Nagl Platz. I charge €40 for the home visit in addition to my normal fees.
Making appointments?
Best is to E-mail or TXT me your name and number. When I have time I will most likely call you back to discuss your situation and make an appointment. You can try calling me between 8 am and 7 pm (Mo.- Fr.) if you would like to inquire about an appointment however during my practice times (listed below) it may be difficult for me to take phone. Please do NOT leave a message on my mailbox as I do not tend to check it very often.
Practice times:
Mo. 08.00 - 16.00
Tu. 08:00 - 16.00
We. 08.00 - 12.00
Th. 08.00 - 16.00
Fr. 08.00 - 12.00
Do I need a referral?
You do not need a referral for preventative physiotherapy but for the treatment of an injury or illness in Austria it is recommended to get a referral before receiving physiotherapy. Without a doctors referral most insurances will not cover the cost of treatment. For example if you have acute back pain it is still possible for ne to treat you however. Some more “aggressive” tequniques will not be possible simply and I highley my patients to get a referral as soon as possible.
Do referrals expire?
It is adviseable to commence physiotherapy within 3 months of obtaining your referral. Although it often says on the referral that the treatment must begin within two weeks this is not true. Once therapy has commenced it should be completed within 9 months.
Do I need a pre approval stamp / 'Bewilligung/approval' stamp from my insurance before starting Physiotherapy?
No. Since the covid pandemic began it is no longer necessary to get approval of your physiotherapy prescription from your insurance prior to starting treatment.
While it is not compulsory it is a good idea to send/email your referral to your insurance for approval before commencing therapy as to guarantee your coverage or partial coverage which will depend in part on your prescription wording and individual policy. Many private insurances cover physiotherapy to a yearly limit without the need for pre-approval.
What should my physiotherapy referral have written on it?
If you do not yet have a referral either your family doctor or specialist can prescribe physiotherapy. Not all doctors will know what is best to write on your referral so it is often a good idea to be prepared for this. The referral should have something similar to Physiotherapy written on it but most importantly the type of treatment, the number of treatments, and duration of treatments. e.g. Physiotherapy, 10x Heilgymnastic (EHG) for 45 minutes plus 10x Massage/Teilmassage (HM or TM) for 15 minutes. This is the most common prescription and will allow us the greatest amount of flexibility when it comes to exercise prescription, education and hands on techniques. It also ensures that you maximize the amount you will get back from your insurer. Most Austrian insurance providers will not reimburse you for treatments such as ultrasound (US), mud packs (Mohr), or electrical stimulation/Elektrotherapie etc because of a lack of clinical evidence for its effectiveness.
What should I bring to my appointment?
A FFP2 Mask for the waiting room or if you are feeling a bit enwell, a copy of your referral, written or printed scans and reports (if you have them), a pair of shorts (for lower limb problems), a normal bra as apposed to a sports bra (for women with back, neck or shoulder problems), and a towel/single sheet or throw would also help reduce the impact on the environment when it comes to washing towels after each session. Towels and exercise clothing can be left at the practice in a plastic bag in our patient wardrobe so that you do not have to bring them with you every time. If you happen to forget a covering for the treatment table we of course have ones you can use.
How long are waiting times?
To ensure prompt appointment times please be aware that the last 5 minutes of each session is used administrative duties such as booking of appointments, payment, completion of your medical notes etc. As a result you should normally expect to be seen within 5 minutes of your scheduled appointment. If I have not come out to receive you within 10 minutes of your appointment start time please feel free to knock on the treatment door.
How can I pay?
Please bring along cash for payment. There is a cash machine 30 meters from our practice outside the local Trafik (Beatrixgasse 21) and another at the music University accross the road. We do not have card facilities in the practice. Payment via bank transfer at the start of the appointment is also possible however this can be more time consuming.
Showering
At the practice we provide facilities for you to shower after your appointment if required. We simply request that you notify your therapist beforehand.
Can I bring my child or baby along to physiotherapy?
Yes there is absolutely no problem from our side with bringing children or babies along to your treatment session. We also have separate bathroom with nappy changing facilities for your convenience.
When does treatment end?
Although treatment usually ends by agreement between you and your therapist based on improvements or lack of them, both the patient and therapist are free to stop the treatment at any time without the need to provide a reason. If you and your therapist deem more sessions necessary than the amount approved on your referral then you will require a new referral and a new approval from your insurance IF you wish to continue claiming reimbursement. Termination of therapy within one working day of a scheduled appointment will result in normal charges as per my cancellation policy.
Appointment cancellations, changes and missed appointments.
So that I have a reasonable chance to efficiently schedule my week and reallocate appointment spaces I really appreciate several days notice for appointment changes and cancellations. Appointments cancelled or changed inside of 24 working hours or over the weekend in regards to Monday appointments will be charged in full due to the extreme difficulty of filling appointments at short notice and over the weekend i.e. Monday appointments need to be cancelled on the previous Friday to avoid charges. Cancelled or missed appointments may not be subject to reimbursement through your insurance. Cancellations at short notice due to sickness will require a doctors certificate.