austria's health care began primarily in 1956 with the "allgemeines sozialversicherungsgesetz" better referred to as the general social insurance law or asvg, which mandated that healthcare is a right. individuals become eligible, and automatically registered for healthcare, upon employment. the individual get included into the insurance fund known as krankenkasse, which results in you receiving an insurance card that covers not only the healthcare, but pensions, and unemployment as well. the level of coverage rapidly grew since 1955-1956 ratification of the general social insurance law, and by 1980 it included unrestricted hospital care, and preventive check-up.