Health insurer and dentists target year-end deal on fillings

Austria’s public health insurer and the country’s dental chamber could agree on a payment plan for tooth fillings by the end of the year, ORF reports. Andreas Huss, head of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund, said a new proposal had been sent to the chamber.

The dispute centres on who should pay for higher-quality fillings since the EU banned amalgam in 2025, and whether dentists will accept the insurer’s proposed fees. The two sides have been arguing over materials and costs since autumn 2024.

The insurer says glass ionomer cement, a low-cost material used until now, is not durable enough. It favours Alkasit, which is already used in its own dental health centres. Patients at independent dental practices are often told they must pay extra or accept a less durable filling, ORF reports.

The chamber has reviewed the insurer’s proposal, which sets fees and lists materials for different uses. Huss said the next meeting is expected in early November and that the sides aim to reach an agreement by year-end. A year-end solution had also been promised two years ago.