Healthcare in Sweden

Today’s post gives you a hint to the reason why it’s been a while since you read a new post from me. It’s a common myth that accessing healthcare in Sweden is free. The truth is, it is not free but “almost free”.

For a tuition-fee paying student at KTH, you have additional insurance through KTH. You can read more about it here.

HOW CAN I ACCESS HEALTHCARE? 

I would say the quickest way is to go to KTH Entre. From this, I was able to book an appointment with Avanova as I was guided through the process. This message goes to current students that might have forgotten the details. For prospective students, KTH would hold an orientation programme to explain how to access healthcare as a student, the terms and conditions for the above mentioned additional insurance and the procedure for claiming your insurance.

To find the health center yourself, you can call 1177 and you’ll be guided appropriately. Also,you can book an appointment online through www.1177.se. I would like to mention that long wait for an appointment is a common issue in Sweden as with all counties in which the social health care system is adopted.

NOTE: Now that you have booked your appointment, please arrive on time as your appointment can be cancelled if you arrive late. Also, if you need to cancel, ensure you do this 24 hours in advance! Lastly, do not forget to bring your card or cash to pay for the appointment.

In the beginning of the post, I mentioned that healthcare is almost free. This is because the cost for a doctor’s visit is 200SEK and if you have to visit the doctor up to five times in a year which equals 1000SEK, you get a card that makes the rest of your visit for the year free. Also, other medical services such as tests are highly subsidised.

WHAT’S THE PROCESS FOR CLAIMING THE MEDICAL INSURANCE?

The best thing is to pay all necessary medical expenses immediately as you incur them. Ensure you keep all receipts. Next, download the claim form and fill appropriately. Submit the form and receipts to KTH Entre. You will be refunded once necessary checks have been carried out to ensure you are eligible for the claim.

I would like to add that even the receipts you get from the pharmacy should have your name on it which means stating your personnummer when making payments. These are the only receipts that will be refunded.

For prospective tuition-fee paying students, you can be assured that you will be well taken care of without breaking the bank in case of any medical emergency during your studies at KTH:)