The price of health care – Sweden

In the event of Sweden’s highest inflation rate in 30 years, the prices continue to rise, affecting the healthcare sector.

The country is continuing to change its healthcare services, emergency care and health centre attendance now growing in price.

The researcher in Health Economics at Karolinska Institute, Naimi Johansson, stated her concern: “It is problematic from an equality perspective. According to law, healthcare must be equal, as needed.”

However, 11 out of 21 regions of Sweden, have increased, or are in the process of increasing their charges for emergency care, and 10 decided to increase the price of appointments in the health centre.

The most expensive emergency care is now in Västernorrland, where a visit to the emergency room now costs 600 SEK (€53.9). 

The Regional Director of Västernorrland, asserted the decisions made: “We have seen an overconsumption of emergency care historically, we need to deal with it.”

The Director of Health and Medical Care at Jämtland Härjedalen, which is now the most costly health centre, has explained: “The increase is part of the measures we have taken based on the region’s economic situation, which is not good.”

Last year, the Minister for Finance, Elisabeth Svantesson, commented on the country’s financial situation: “Sweden remains in an economic winter and a difficult security environment,” and this year this has been ever more evident.