The public healthcare system in Sweden can look and feel a little confusing, especially for people coming from private insurer systems like in the United States. But once you learn how it works, its benefits are great!
One thing that was important for me to learn about socialized healthcare is that since it’s available to everyone and basically free, it often feels like it’s the medical worker’s job to try and cut corners by saying “no.” A lot. For certain ailments, they don’t do tests unless absolutely necessary and there isn’t much preventative care.
I had to push hard to get my doctor to order a cholesterol panel, which is something you would do as part of a yearly wellness visit in the US. Sometimes you must exaggerate your symptoms a little to get treatment, but when it’s something serious, you are well taken care of.
I will cover the essentials like 1177.se, Vårdcentral and the free card.
Gateway to the healthcare system: 1177.se
Don’t ask me where the number comes from, but 1177.se (or by dialing 1177 on your phone) is how you access Swedish public healthcare. With BankID, you can easily access most things in Sweden, including logging onto 1177.
Swedish residents are automatically assigned a Vårdcentral (primary care location) near their home. On 1177.se, you can search for different doctor’s offices (called receptions), send messages, make appointments and see information about your visits in your “journal”. It also provides the pharmacies with your prescription information (called recipes), which is very convenient.
The site also contains a wealth of information about different health conditions and how they are treated in Sweden. Using the translator on Google Chrome doesn’t work well, but it will translate if you consistently force it.
There is an English section that includes limited information.
Vårdcentral handles everything
All of your care (except emergencies) goes through your primary care doctor at your Värdcentral. He or she will prescribe medications, order testing,and refer you to specialists. Every VC has a “rehab,” which is a physical therapy center and a psychologist; appointments with these specialists are often short – about 25 minutes – and you are limited on the number of visits.
Private care does exist, but I’m told it isn’t necessary or any different than public care. You might see someone slightly faster, but the wait times in the public have felt reasonable; just not much choice when it comes to appointment times. They don’t even really ask, just assign you a day and time. Luckily, most Swedish employers are pretty understanding when you have a doctor’s appointment during the workday.
Costs and free card
For doctor’s appointments and prescription medications, each requires payment of a certain amount per year (the equivilant of about $120, based on the region you live in). Before this, doctor’s appointments may be $10-$30 each and prescriptions are also affordably priced. I once braced myself when the lady at the pharmacy apologized because I had to pay for my prescription, but then let out a big sigh of relief when I learned it was only $15.
When you reach the limit, your appointments and prescriptions are covered for the rest of the year.
Sometimes when we think of public health centers, we imagine run-down facilities, overworked staff, and sub-par care, but that’s not the case with healthcare in Sweden. Vårdcentral, hospitals and specialist offices are far from fancy, but quite clean and serviceable. And nobody seems stressed or overworked (nowhere in Sweden, in fact).
Foreigners who come to Sweden are often frustrated when first learning how to navigate the public healthcare system. But once you get used to it, the Swedish system is quite effective and affordable. Not to mention, it’s set up to help everyone, not just the people who have good insurance via their employer. There are no tiers, everyone is treated the same and the care is always good.
Jess Bretin is a communications and content specialist, and an American living in Gothenburg, Sweden. While in the states, she spent 2 years on the road living in a van and visited every state. She then married a Frenchman, so she has spent alot of time in France. Jess is also a singer/songwriter in a rock band and loves to cook and stand-up paddle board.
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