I asked Bibbi to comment on Sweden’s healthcare system, but obviously she has a lot on her plate right now so I did a search. There are several that cover it so I just picked the one below. Theirs is socialism in practice which is not only their medical system, but includes other things like free college tuition. There are no conclusions offered but just facts. It’s an easy read. Thoughts? https://borgenproject.org/10-facts-about-healthcare-in-sweden/ 10 Facts About Healthcare in Sweden Sweden has a decentralized universal healthcare system for everyone. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs dictates health policy and budgets, but the 21 regional councils finance health expenditures through tax funding; an additional 290 municipalities take care of individuals who are disabled or elderly. To service 10.23 million people, Sweden has 70 regionally-owned public hospitals, seven university hospitals, and six private hospitals. Most medical fees are capped and have a high-cost ceiling. According to the Swedish law, hospitalization fees are not allowed to surpass 100 kr (Swedish Krona), which is equivalent to $10.88, a day and, in most regions, the charge for ambulance or helicopter service is capped at 1,100 kr ($120). Prescription drugs have a fee cap and patients never pay more than 2,350 kr ($255) in a one-year period. In the course of one year, the maximum out-of-pocket cost is 1,150 kr ($125) for all medical consultations. If the person exceeds the cap, all other consultations will be free. Additionally, medical services are free for all people under the age of 18. The cost for medical consultations not only has a price cap, but is generally low. The average cost of a primary care visit is 150 kr-300 kr ($16-$33) and the cost of a specialist consultation, including mental health services, ranges from 200 kr-400 kr ($22-$42). The cost of hospitalization, including pharmaceuticals, does not exceed 100 kr ($11) per day and people under the age of 20 are exempt from all co-payments. Healthcare services, such as immunizations, cancer screenings, and maternity care, are also free and have no co-payments. All dental care for people under the age of 23 is free. When a person turns 23, they no longer qualify for free dental health care in Sweden and must pay out of pocket. However, the government pays them annual subsidies, or an allowance, of 600 kr ($65) to pay for dental expenses. In Sweden, the cost of a tooth extraction is 950 kr ($103) and the cleaning and root filling for a single root canal costs 3,150 kr ($342). If dental care costs total anywhere between 3,000 kr-15,000 kr ($326-$1,632), the patient is reimbursed 50% of the cost. If it exceeds 15,000 kr, 85% of the cost is reimbursed. To battle its large medical waiting lists, Sweden has implemented a 0-30-90-90 rule. The wait-time guarantee, or the 0-30-90-90 rule, ensures that there will be zero delays, meaning patients will receive immediate access to health care advice and a seven-day waiting period to see a general practitioner. The rule also guarantees that a patient will not wait more than 90 days to see a specialist and will receive surgical treatment, like cataract removal or hip-replacement surgery, a maximum of 90 days after diagnosis. Sweden’s government also committed 500 kr million ($55 million) to significantly decrease wait time for all cancer treatments. In 2016, Sweden developed a plan to further improve its health services by 2025 through the adoption of e-health. In 2010, Sweden made private healthcare insurance available. The use of private health insurance has been increasing due to the low number of hospitals, long waiting times to receive healthcare, and Sweden’s priority treatment of emergency cases first. In Sweden, one in 10 people do not rely on Sweden’s universal healthcare but instead purchase private health insurance. While the costs for private plans vary, one can expect to pay 4,000 kr ($435) annually for one person, on average. Sweden’s life expectancy is 82.40 years old. This surpasses the life expectancies in Germany, the UK, and the United States. Maternal healthcare in Sweden is particularly strong because both parents are entitled to a 480-day leave at 80% salary and their job is guaranteed when they come back. Sweden also has one of the lowest maternal and child mortality rates in the world. Four in 100,000 women die during childbirth and there are 2.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. There are 5.4 physicians per 1,000 people, which is twice as great as in the U.S and the U.K, and 100% of births are assisted by medical personnel. The leading causes of death are Ischemic heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and colorectal cancer. While the biggest risk factors that drive most deaths are tobacco, dietary risks, high blood pressure and high body-mass index, only 20.6% of the Swedish population is obese and 85% of Swedes do not smoke. The Healthcare Access and Quality Index (HAQ Index) also estimates that, in 2016, the rate of amenable mortality, or people with potentially preventable diseases, were saved at a rate of 95.5% in Sweden. The HAQ Index estimates how well healthcare in Sweden functions; the index shows that it is one of the best in the world. Sweden’s health expenditure represents a little over 11% of its GDP, most of which is funded by municipal and regional taxes. Additionally, in Sweden, all higher education is free, including medical schools. There are no tuition fees and a physician can expect to have an average monthly salary of 77,900 kr ($8,500). In Sweden, 1 in 5 people is 65 or older, but the birth rate and population size are still growing. Because Sweden has one of the best social welfare and healthcare systems in the world, people live longer and therefore 20% of the population does not generate income or pay taxes from their salary. This dynamic stagnates social welfare benefits and slows down the economy. Increasing immigration and a rise in births are the two solutions to ensure that the younger generations will receive the same benefits. Swedish-born women have an average of 1.7 children and foreign-born women have an average of 2.1 children. In 1990, Sweden broke the 2.1 children fertility rate but quickly dropped below 2.0 in 2010. Since 2010, Sweden has seen an increase of 100,000-150,000 immigrants and has seen 45,000 citizens emigrate. In 2018, Sweden reached its record highest GDP (PPP) per capita of almost $50,000. Despite having the highest taxes in the world, the living conditions and healthcare in Sweden are some of the best. With time, its population will continue to grow and the healthcare system will continue to advance.
If their health care is so good, why would they need private healthcare insurance? Not criticizing, just trying to understand. In 2010, Sweden made private healthcare insurance available.
@Ed Wilson Your post brought to mind several questions. First, would a system of healthcare of that type, servicing 10 million people, hold up servicing 300 MILLION? How bloated would such a system become here in the U.S., where our leaders cannot control billions of dollars obviously wasted, in ever-increasing amount? Second, is a country's life expectancy necessarily "geared" directly to the adequacy of it's health care system? Interestingly, life expectancy in Sweden ranks at 13th. in the world, while the U.S. ranks 4oth. Frank
I did some research on socialized medicine in the past, but have forgotten most of it. As I recall, Sweden actually invented socialized medicine, and the world's foremost expert on the subject hails from there (if he is still alive). That guy whose name has left me claimed Germany had the most successful system in the world, and perhaps Sweden is moving that way if they are offering private insurance. It was said when I looked into it, that no nation or our size and diverse population has ever fallen under socialized medicine and they didn't think (at the time) that it was possible in the U.S. Several examples were given, but the comment was that the U.S. government cannot run a business successfully. Social Security, the USPS, and Amtrak were all given as examples of how bad our government was at operating a business. Would you like your doctor to operate like you mailman, or your local hospital to be operated like Amtrak? Most, if not all, of the socialized medical systems in the world have relatively homogeneous populations, like many European countries, although that is changing as the populations become more diverse. I don't know how Sweden is dealing with the Muslim immigration from the Levant region into their nation.
Private health care has been available for many years, but before 2010 patients had to pay the full cost of treatment. Private health insurance was made available to cover cost of private treatment. A private health insurance could cost somewhere around 1 000 US Dollars per year for my husband and more for me but the cost varies according to what frills and extras you want and of course age - more expensive as you get older.
Thanks @Ed Wilson for posting. we've had a hectic week here and as you said I also have a lot on my plate at the moment. Just to clarify: Cost of hospitalization covers everything from the moment I walk in through the door till the moment I walk out again. That includes surgery, rehab while in hospital, all meals and as you say pharmaceuticals. If I have prescription meds I don't have to take them with me they're provided by the hospital as long as I'm there. So for the surgery to remove my eye I will pay the 11 dollar cap as it will probably be just an overnight stay and that will also include follow ups and having a prosthetic eye made and fitted. This won't apply if the diagnosis is serious like cancer. When I had cervical cancer I had my first treatment less than one month after diagnosis. The one year period mentioned isn't a calendar year but a twelve month period from the first visit or from when you start taking out prescription meds. The charge for ambulance transport is on average 60 US Dollars but that's included the cost of the primary care visit to the hospital.
Our system of healthcare, being established, will be hard to change. The key word is”established”. This includes the “establishment”. They are those who make a living from what is established and will resist change by both tooth and nail. Their lobbying groups in Washington will see to that.