JANUARY

SWEDEN
What is covered?
Services: There is no defined benefits package. The publicly financed health system covers public health and
preventive services; primary care; inpatient and outpatient specialized care; emergency care; inpatient and
outpatient prescription drugs; mental health care; rehabilitation services; disability support services; patient
transport support services; home care and long-term care, including nursing home care and hospice care;
dental care and optometry for children and young people; and, with limited subsidies, adult dental care. As the
responsibility for organizing and financing health care rests with the county councils and municipalities, services
vary throughout the country.
Cost-sharing and out-of-pocket spending: In 2013, about 16 percent of all expenditures on health were
private, and of these 93 percent were out-of-pocket (Statistics Sweden, 2015a). The majority of out-of-pocket
spending is for drugs.
The county councils set copayment rates per health care visit and per bed-day, leading to variation across the
country. Providers cannot charge above the scheduled fee. The table below shows fee ranges for 2014.
Service Fee Range (2014)
Swedish Kroner
U.S. Dollars
Primary care physician visit 100–300 11–34
Hospital physician consultation 200–350 22–39
Hospitalization per day 80–100 9–11
Source: SALAR, 2015.
Nationally, annual out-of-pocket payments for health care visits are capped at SEK1,100 (USD123) per
individual. In all county councils, people under age 18—and in most county councils, people under 20—are
exempt from user charges for visits.
Dental care: Dental and pharmaceutical benefits are determined at the national level. People under 20 have
free access to all dental care. People 20 or older receive a fixed annual subsidy of SEK150–SEK300 (USD17–
USD34), depending on age, for preventive dental care. For other dental services, within a 12-month period
patients 20 or older pay the full cost of services up to SEK3,000 (USD335), 50 percent of the cost for services
between SEK3,000 and SEK15,000 (USD1,676), and 15 percent of costs above SEK15,000. There is no cap on
user charges for dental care.
Prescription drugs: Individuals pay the full cost of prescribed medications up to SEK1,100 (USD123) annually,
after which the subsidy gradually increases to 100 percent. The annual ceiling for out-of-pocket payments for
prescriptions is SEK2,200 (USD246) for adults. A separate annual out-of-pocket maximum of SEK2,200 applies
collectively to all children belonging to the same family. For certain prescription drugs not on the National Drug
Benefits Scheme and not subject to reimbursement, patients must pay the full price.
Safety net: Because the Swedish health care system is designed to be socially responsible and equity-driven,
all social groups are entitled to the same benefits. The ceilings on out-of-pocket spending apply to everyone,
and the overall cap on user charges is not adjusted for income. Children, adolescents, pregnant women, and
the elderly are generally targeted groups, exempted from user charges or granted subsidies for certain services
such as maternity care or vaccination programs.
* Please note that, throughout this profile, all figures in USD were converted from SEK at a rate of about SEK8.95 per USD,
the purchasing power parity conversion rate for GDP in 2014 reported by OECD (2015) for Sweden.
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The Commonwealth Fund