Vorarlberg MRI waits nearly double to 36 days

Patients in Vorarlberg now wait an average of 36 days for a publicly covered MRI scan, up from 19 days in 2025, ORF reported on Wednesday. Across Austria, the average wait fell from 28 to 20 days.

Vorarlberg is one of three Austrian states where patients wait more than 30 days for a publicly covered appointment. In Upper Austria, the average rose from 25 to 30 days. The Burgenland still has the longest wait, although it fell from 55 to 38 days. Waiting times decreased in the other six states.

Patients who pay for an MRI themselves can get an appointment in an average of five days nationwide. The average price is 335 euros, ranging from 260 euros in Styria to 549 euros in Vorarlberg, the highest figure in Austria.

The survey was conducted by market research institute Market on behalf of Austria’s social insurance providers. From July to August, it collected waiting-time data from all 83 institutes and contracted facilities in Austria offering MRI scans.