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Swedish Health Care System
Swedish Health Care System
The country of Sweden has a long tradition of delivering high quality, economically viable healthcare.
For many years Sweden’s health care system has been regularly ranked at the top of most
comparative analyses of various international health care systems. For instance, the Swedish health
care system ranked #2 overall in a study published in 2004 by an independent Canadian research
institute, According to their report.
Sweden has a larger share of elderly people than most OECD countries: 5.2% are over 80,
compared to the average of 4.2%
Spending on elderly care is 3.6% of GDP, compared to an OECD average of 1.7%
Sweden has the highest number of elderly care workers per capita
Seven out of ten dependent elderly people receive care in their homes
The quality of health care in Sweden is generally good, for example:
o rates of avoidable hospitalization for chronic conditions such as asthma (22.2 per
100 000 population) are among the lowest in the OECD (average 45.8)
o 90% of people using primary care in Sweden said they were treated with respect and
consideration by staff
o Sweden’s quality registers, which track the quality of care that patients receive and
outcomes for several conditions, are among the most developed across the OECD
Who is covered?
The Coverage is universal. All residents are entitled to publicly-financed health care.
What is covered?
Services: The publicly-financed health system covers: public health and preventive services;
inpatient and outpatient hospital care; primary health care; inpatient and outpatient
prescription drugs; mental health care; dental care for children and young people;
rehabilitation services; disability support services; patient transport support services; home
care; and nursing home care.
Safety nets: The maximum amount to be paid out-of-pocket for publiclyfinanced care in a
12-month period is SEK 900 ($137) for health services and SEK 1,800 ($274) for outpatient
pharmaceuticals. Children are exempt from cost-sharing for health services. An annual
maximum of SEK 1,800 ($274) for pharmaceuticals applies to children belonging to the same
family. Limited subsidies are available for adult dental care.