Nordic nations consider private market for health insurance solutions
Sweden is a nation famous for being a social democracy. However, this has been cut back considerably of late. Sweden is enjoying a phenomenon not likely to provide cheer to those Americans that feel the solution to Obamacare's challenges is extra state involvement in pharmaceuticals. Tired of extended waits and inferior treatment, Swedes increasingly choose private health insurance plans with companies such as Vardaga and Capio to access the to the care the government cannot provide.
Based on Sweden's health insurance trade sector firm, Svensk Försäkring:
The amount of private medical care insurance policies has increased in recent times. In 2011 about 440,000 individuals held private medical care insurance policies. The majority of these individuals have their policy remunerated by their employer.
The trend continues, with the English-language The Local revealing recently that "One in 10 Swedish citizens now has private medical insurance." The website also says, "More than half a million Swedes now have personal medical insurance," though that appears to refer to the increase in the amount of policies, with more of the country's 9.5 million individuals realistically covered by private insurance.
Why the growth? From The Local:
"It is quicker to have a coworker returning to work if you have an operation in 2 weeks' time rather than having to wait for a year," privately insured Anna Norlander informed Sveriges Radio . "It's unfortunate that I, being a young person, do not feel I'm able to trust the health care system to care for me."
In a different post around Sweden's diminishing welfare state, The Local also mentioned that "patients are often surprised to learn about year-long waitlists for cancer sufferers."
Reason's Matthew Feeney mentioned recently that Sweden's social democracy period was something of a brief intermission.
Up till the 1970s Sweden enjoyed sound market-focused policies in place that improved wealth and standards of living because of changes introduced by the end of the 1800s. These Swedish market reforms were broad ranging, affecting both law and business. Real estate rights were enforced, the government was restricted, legislation was light, and a private banking sector flourished.
The lifelong services employed in the 1970s was unaffordable by the 1990s.
In the period following the 1990s situation, Sweden has privatized whole markets and encouraged the privatization of public services. One Swedish medical facility is registered on the stock market as the country's education structure is the most market-friendly globally, with a well-liked coupon program and commercial schools.
"Income tax in Sweden is now less than in France, Denmark and Belgium," claims The Local, "and general investing as a portion of GDP has declined from a record 71.0 percent in 1993 to 53.3 percent last year."
And, of course, Swedes are turning to private health to get away from the huge queues and bad service of the state health program which has been not able to supply what they once guaranteed.
