Due to the current toubles Barack Obama is facing, when trying to work on the US healthcare system CNN featured a story comparing the Austrian healthcare system with the US healthcare system.

Key findings according to CNN are:

* the austrian healthcare system is cheaper than the US System
* life expectancy in Austria is higher than in the US
* one third of Austrians pays for "special class" (additional private healthcare)

CNN calls that (dialogue): "... a two tier system in the level of care. So, you can say there are two classes of Austrians? Yes, that is correct, they use the term "special class" for the private hospitals"

This is a huge misunderstanding

Having some insight in the daily work of Austrias hospitals (for private reasons), I think this is a huge misinterpretation of the facts. Basically the so called special class gives you the illusion of better food, a personal TV in front of your bed, a room with a maximum of two but up to 6 people and the Doctor cashing in on your private insurance is coming by one time a day to do the obligatory small talk.

In the context of medical treatment there is more or less no difference (at least if you talk to insiders of the system). You get the same surgeries - in public hospitals mostly by the better doctors, because they perform this kind of surgery (e.g. cruciate ligament) 5 times a day.

The worst illusion is about the level of medical treatment in private hospitals - for good reason, these hospitals are much smaller and therefore don't have all the equipment a big public hospital has. They also don't have the same number of doctors 24/7 inhouse - sure, those Professors and private practicing doctors have a normal job in the public hospitals and they just pay you a visit, when they are done. They just have the nicer rooms, better food and make you feel important. In case of an emergency you better have your bed in a public hospital!