By Anirban Dey

The Swedish healthcare infrastructure is renowned the world over, not just for its quality or the ease of access, but also the fact that most medical expenses are state-subsidized here. As expats, there are a few important aspects that all of us need to be aware of, such as – 1177, Försäkringskassan, dental care, COVID-19, emergencies, and general healthcare costs.

So, first of all, healthcare in Sweden is a fundamental right. But as we have already established in a previous article, like other things, the personnummer is a requirement to get subsidized healthcare here. However, if you are an EU citizen and have a blue card, then you are eligible for similar fee concessions or you can even apply for a refund from your own country. Without the personnummer, people from outside of the EU stand to blow a big hole in your pockets towards healthcare expenses, so apply for it right away! (Note: There are exceptions presently made to this rule to access COVID vaccinations.)

1. 1177 Vårdguiden and your local vårdcentral

The main resource to get healthcare in Sweden is 1177 or Vårdguiden. This is both a number that you can call to talk to a nurse or book an appointment, as well as a website on which you can create an account to get medical services. When you call 1177 – which should always be your first stop for any medical issue – they take stock of your situation and recommend which one you could visit.

There are various ways you can choose to log in and verify your identity such as using you Bank ID, Mobile Bank ID, Telia e-legitimation etc. Once you log in, you will need to register with your local vårdcentral, which is the nearest medical facility that every neighborhood in Stockholm has. Also, if you need specialist care, your GP at the local vårdcentral will have to refer you to a specialist.

Creating an account is easy enough, but there is a sticky bit to it. The housing situation in Stockholm is not very good, and you might need to shift houses frequently. Now, every time you shift houses, you have to update the vårdcentral nearest to where you stay, at least for non-emergency or non-acute services. But for the system to do this takes a while, sometimes even a few months – so, my suggestion would be to update your residential information the moment you finalize your decision to move houses.

2. Försäkringskassan

Försäkringskassan or the Swedish Social Insurance Agency is your one-stop social security service, which renders social insurances covering a range of issues such as illnesses, injuries, disabilities, parental benefits, healthcare for children, geriatric care and so on.

Anyone with a Swedish residence permit for a year or more is eligible to receive these benefits. Similarly, working in Sweden in the capacity of an employee, a self-employed individual or a contractual worker makes one eligible to receive a work-based insurance. Being dependent to a person fulfilling these requirements also makes one eligible.

3. Dental care and insurance

Dental care is the only medical segment in Sweden that is not covered by state subsidies as adequately as other segments. There are two kinds of dentists or tandläkare you can visit – private practitioners, or public dentists who are a part of Folktandvården. Apart from taking into consideration the price and availability, you might also want to find out if the dentist you are going to, is registered with Försäkringskassan, so that you get access to the annual subsidy that Försäkringskassan provides. Once you are registered with Försäkringskassan, you just need to let your dentist know when you visit that you’d like to use your subsidy towards payment. The subsidies are issued on July 1st each year and you can roll the allowance over to the following year to use two years’ worth of subsidies – but no more than that – at the same time.

You can also take a dental insurance separately, which is called Frisktandvård. You pay a certain premium for this each month (based on your age and the condition of your teeth) and in return, your check-ups and many treatments are available at no extra cost.

4. COVID-19 

So, the most helpful resource to keep yourself updated about recommendations and latest developments regarding COVID-19 in Sweden, is the website of the Folkhälsomyndigheten or the Public Health Agency of Sweden. Apart from other things, you will find comprehensive information about COVID-19 on the website, explained in a user-friendly manner, often with easy videos.

There are two helplines 08-123-68000 and 113 13, apart from 1177, which you can also call to find out more information about COVID. It’s always a good idea to keep yourself updated with the information available on the Region Stockholm and Krisinformation websites.

5. Emergencies

As a member state of the EU, Sweden has the same number for emergencies – 112 or the SOS Alarm. You can call this number to reach emergency services such as – an ambulance in case of a medical urgency, police, fire department, rescue services and so on.

As we have already discussed, for anything related to medical advice, call 1177. They offer this service year-round and round the clock all over Sweden. A nurse answers your queries, listens to the symptoms you have, and evaluates any need for further care. If required, they will recommend medical facilities that you can visit.

The Accident and Emergency departments in the Stockholm County are – Danderyds sjukhus, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Huddinge, Norrtälje sjukhus, Capio S:t Görans sjukhus, Södersjukhuset, and Södertälje sjukhus.

These are the three emergency rooms specifically for children in the Stockholm County  – Astrid Lindgrens Barnsjukhus (one in Solna and another in Huddinge) and Sachsska barn- och ungdomssjukhuset. For non-emergency issues, there are 40 special clinics for children in the Stockholm County (BUMM) where children can be looked at by a pediatrician the same day an appointment is sought.

If your emergency is not life-threatening, you can visit the Närakuten (emergency ward at a nearby hospital).

Alternatively, you can use the Husläkarjouren (health centers which are open on evenings and weekends, when your usual health centers might be closed), or request a Jourläkarbilar (home visit by an on-call doctor on evenings, nights, weekends, or when you cannot get to a clinic). Increasingly these days, people also use various online consultation services such as Doktor24, Min Doktor, Doktor.se, Medicheck, Kry etc.

6. General healthcare costs

So, you might have seen, the best thing about the Swedish healthcare system, is that not only is it qualitatively sound, but it’s also economical. Children and young people till the age of 17 get free treatment here, except for emergency services which cost a nominal 120 SEK. These are a few sample expenses for adults (18–84 years):

• Vårdcentral/husläkarjour/on-call doctor: SEK 200
• Närakuten: SEK 200
• Akutmottagning (emergency room) at the hospital: SEK 400 (+100 SEK a day for extended stays)
• Psychiatric clinic (psykiatrisk mottagning): SEK 350
• Some counties in Sweden may also charge a fee for ambulance or helicopter service (maximum 1100 SEK)

Hopefully, you won’t have to avail of any of these services, but it’s important to know that if something were to happen, you and your family are safe here in Sweden. And you wouldn’t need to go broke either to get the best healthcare!

Anirban Dey is a member of the SDCN Management Team and a Writer/Communicator at the Stockholm Academic Forum. He has written several articles about useful resources in Stockholm, so check out the ‘Latest from SDCN’ section of our website! 

This article was first published on the 9th of July 2021 and modified on the 10th of February 2022.

Photo credits: Elliot Elliot/imagebank.sweden.se

Last updated 2021/07/09