Healthcare facilities in Sweden: Universal healthcare for all residents. Funded through taxation. High-quality medical services. General practitioners as primary care providers. Referral needed for specialist visits. Emergency services at hospitals. Healthcare services mostly free. Prescription medications partially subsidized. Maternity and child care prioritized. Electronic health records system.
Universal healthcare for all residents.
Sweden's healthcare system offers universal and automatic coverage to all legal residents. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is responsible for setting the overall health policy, while regions finance and deliver healthcare services, and municipalities care for the elderly and disabled. This comprehensive coverage includes inpatient, outpatient, dental, mental health, long-term care, and prescription drugs. Additionally, there are further protections for asylum-seekers and undocumented children. For more detailed information, visit the Commonwealth Fund.
Funded through taxation.
The Swedish healthcare system is primarily funded through taxation, with revenues originating from local taxes and direct transfers from the national government, ensuring universal and decentralized healthcare with low out-of-pocket costs for patients. The system is managed by 21 county councils and 290 municipalities, which collect income taxes to finance health care services, supplemented by state grants and subsidies. For more comprehensive insights into the structure and functioning of this model, explore the Sweden Health System Financing page.
High-quality medical services.
Sweden's healthcare system is renowned for its high-quality medical services, characterized by a high rate of physicians per capita, excellent cancer survival rates, and comprehensive primary care sector staffed by highly skilled medical personnel, including GPs and multidisciplinary teams. The system is decentralized, with 21 county councils responsible for financing and providing healthcare, ensuring good health outcomes and low levels of unmet needs. For more detailed information, visit the International Insurance website.
General practitioners as primary care providers.
In Sweden, General Practitioners (GPs) are specialist-trained in Family Medicine, with a minimum of five years of specialist training, and they provide comprehensive primary care, including medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services, often working in group practices with multidisciplinary teams. They have an average consultation time of 22.5 minutes per patient, allowing for better patient care and reduced referrals to specialists. For more detailed information about these practices, visit the official website of the Swedish Healthcare System.
Referral needed for specialist visits.
To access specialist care in Sweden, it is essential to have a referral, known locally as a "remiss," obtained from a health centre or a general practitioner. This referral outlines the required care and guarantees you coverage under the health care system, ensuring that your appointment is scheduled within the maximum wait time of 90 days. For more detailed insights into this process, visit the Swedish Health System's official guidance on specialist treatment referrals.
Emergency services at hospitals.
In Sweden, emergency services at hospitals are provided by akutsjukhusens akutmottagningar (emergency hospital care), where patients with serious or life-threatening conditions should call 112 or 1177 to find the right emergency care. These hospitals, including seven university hospitals and many region hospitals, offer full emergency services and prioritize urgent cases immediately. For more information, you can visit the Help in an Emergency webpage to understand how to access emergency services effectively.
Healthcare services mostly free.
In Sweden, Healthcare Services are mostly free, with universal coverage automatically extended to all legal residents. Funding comes primarily from regional and municipal taxes, and patients pay very low fees, with caps on annual healthcare and pharmaceutical expenses to ensure affordability. For more details, you can visit the International Health Policy Center website.
Prescription medications partially subsidized.
In Sweden, prescription medications are partially subsidized through a system where patients pay a capped amount annually. The government covers any further expenses for the rest of the year once the patient's prescriptions reach SEK 2,350, which provides high-cost protection for out-patient pharmaceuticals. This system is a testament to Sweden's commitment to affordable Healthcare, ensuring that individuals are not overburdened by medical expenses throughout the year.
Maternity and child care prioritized.
In Sweden, Maternity and Child Care are highly prioritized, with free access to midwife's offices (BMM) and child health care centres (BVC) staffed by qualified midwives, nurses, and doctors. These facilities provide regular check-ups, social and psychological support, and educational programs from pregnancy through to the child's school age. The public maternal healthcare system is particularly strong, boasting low maternal and infant mortality rates, and is considered a global model for maternal care.
Electronic health records system.
In Sweden, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is widely implemented, driven by government initiatives and a goal for all healthcare providers to use EHRs by 2023 to improve healthcare quality and efficiency. Patients can access their complete medical records, including visit notes and other health information, through the national patient portal known as Journalen, which integrates data from various healthcare providers.