Somehow health care seems to precariously work here in Austria. Everyone has to be in health insurance, you're free to pay for a private one for special privileges, like your own room, but that's basically it. It's usually not even a problem to go to a specialist. Roentgen, MRTs etc are all covered and done whenever necessary. The only thing you really pay for are medicine (where you only pay a recipe fee, not what it actually costs) and special stuff like ceramic or gold fillings and alternative treatments. Usually the money for health insurance is directly deducted from your salary, if you are your own business you have to enter yourself. If you are jobless, you get entered automatically without having to pay. Students are entered until they are 26 or 27 and then they can enter a cheaper student health insurance which costs something like 30 Euros a month.

In short, I'm a big supporter of State Health Insurance. If you feel sick, you go to the doctor or to a hospital without having to worry about bills, it's that simple. And a few days in the hospital after an accident won't ruin you, just the opposite, you won't have to pay anything and if you need a walking stick or wheel chair, it gets supplied and you return it after you're better. I really think it's worth it.