The Swedish health care program is mainly government-funded and decentralized, even though personal health care exists as well. The health care program in Sweden is funded primarily through fees and taxes that are levied by regional councils and cities. This, of course, makes health care inexpensive for those who are native to the country.
Sweden’s health care program has three different levels: national, regional, and community/local. On the national level, the Health and Social Affairs Ministry encourages proper health care and models appropriate health care models for political goals. This particular ministry, along with other government bodies, supervises the government system, allocates funds and periodically assesses services to ensure that everything is up to code.
Nordic, EU/EEA, Switzerland Students
If you are a student from any of the Nordic, EU/EEA countries or Switzerland, you will have access to necessary medical care when you sign up ahead of time in your home nation and have a new EU Medical care insurance card. When EU health insurance cards are certainly given by your nation, you will need to fill out an E128 or E111 form. When approved, you will only have to pay the conventional individual charge, like native Swedes do. Individuals don’t sign up using their home country’s coverage have to organize their own private insurance for when they enter the country. This is also done in your home nation. Without health insurance, the costs of health care are quite high and you may have problems affording it while completing your educational program.
Students from other countries that are staying more than one year
If you are not from one of those countries listed above, things may be different. As a university student who will be studying in Sweden for more than a year, you have the same health care benefits as native Swedes. However, you should sign up and have an individual identification number for public health care as soon as you arrive in the country for your studies. The application procedure could take some time, although you will end up completely covered if you need professional medical help while the application is being processed.
Also, understand that this health care insurance won’t cover you as you travel to Sweden or the time in between your arrival in the city that you will be residing in. This is because of what we explained above, that local governments oversee health care. So, if you aren’t in the city you are going to reside in during your studies, you will not have coverage until the process above is completed. You’ll need a certain amount of travel cover to make sure that you are covered while you are traveling.
Students that are residing in the country for less than one year
If you are only staying for 12 months or less, you do not receive a individual identification number and you don’t have automatic entry to medical care. However, this Swedish university that you are attending may provide you with health insurance policy coverage by means of Kammarkollegiet’s FAS prepare. Consult the university to see if they provide this plan. To find more information about this program, stop by Kammarkollegiet’s facts site.
Along with governmental Kammarkollegiet insurance coverage, Sweden has negotiations with several other countries regarding professional medical care. Individuals from countries having this agreement only have to provide their own passport along with a certification of national health insurance when they go and see a medical professional. For this to apply, the health care bills must occur while you are living in Sweden. You cannot try to transfer bills from your own country into the Swedish health care system. But, you can take care of chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart conditions, etc) that require care while you are in Sweden. To find out whether your home nation features this kind of agreement, you need to contact the health ministry or department within your home country.
If you need more information about the healthcare system in Sweden, make sure that you check out the official site for Sweden healthcare, or the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs website. They can give you all of the information that you will need in order to have health care available when you arrive to study in Sweden. Your university may also be able to help you acquire health insurance before you arrive for your studies; contact your admissions office or student union for more information.