The healthcare insurance is an insurance that typically covers both healthcare and rehabilitation services. Both life insurance companies and non-life insurance companies can offer healthcare insurance. Life insurance companies account for just under one-third of the number of policies, while non-life insurance companies account for the remaining two-thirds.
The number of healthcare insurance policies has been increasing steadily over a long period of time. By the end of 2021, more than 723,000 individuals had a healthcare insurance policy (see figure 23). This represents a 43 per cent increase since 2012. Nearly 6 out of 10 policyholders have their insurance paid by their employer, and slightly over 3 out of 10 have obtained their healthcare insurance as a group policy, for example, through their trade union. The remaining approximately 10 per cent have an individual healthcare insurance policy that they have personally obtained.
The healthcare insurance is financed through premiums paid by the policyholders and in 2021, policyholders paid around 3.9 billion SEK in premiums for healthcare insurance. None of the healthcare services provided under the healthcare insurance are financed by means of taxation.
The content of a healthcare insurance policy may vary slightly between different insurance companies but generally includes healthcare advice, care planning, and specialist care. It often includes preventive measures and rehabilitation efforts as well. The policy may also cover costs for medication and post-treatment care. Services that are not covered or managed within the healthcare insurance policy include emergency care, intensive care (ICU), childbirth, cosmetic treatments, and end-of-life care. The entire cost of healthcare is financed through premiums paid by policyholders.
The healthcare provided within a healthcare insurance policy primarily focuses on planned specialist care. The most common services covered by the policy include treatments by physiotherapists and/or naprapaths, as well as psychologists. Other common services within specialist care include treatments by dermatologists, ear, nose, and throat specialists, gynecologists/urologists, and more.
In 2021, approximately 1.4 million treatments were carried through under the healthcare insurance policy, including 46,413 surgeries (see figure 24).
All services within the healthcare insurance policy are preceded by a medical assessment, similar to the process within publicly funded healthcare. Treatment is only carried out if there is a determined need for it, and it is performed exclusively by private healthcare providers in Sweden or abroad.
