Private health insurance in Sweden: a clash of cultures

The Local reports:

Private healthcare insurance plans have grown a whopping 400 percent in a decade and critics argue that the development could threaten the efficient provision of public healthcare.

Eva-Lisa Krabbe, political secretary at the Swedish Association of Health Professionals (Vårdförbundet), a union for Swedish healthcare workers, is among those dismayed by the trend.

"We think healthcare should be available through the public system. If we have a public system that covers people's needs, there's no need for insurance," she argues.

While Sweden has long taken pride in its public healthcare system, lengthening queues and at times inconsistent care have prompted many Swedes to opt for private healthcare with many gaining the benefit through insurance policies offered by employers, currently responsible for 80 percent of healthcare insurance market.

Kent Andersson, Nordic manager of healthcare insurance at Swedish insurance giant Trygg-Hansa, argues that while he recognises the risk that "willingness to pay for the public system will drop" he said that the trend reflects a change in consumer habits.

”People today want to invest more money in their health. It has to do with a shift in values, as more people want to prioritise their own health, rather than material things,” he explains.

With health insurance facilitating the move to private healthcare, some are concerned that Sweden's public healthcare system may suffer if too many Swedes select a private option.

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