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So Much For the Swedish Utopian Socialized Healthcare System

Home - by - January 21, 2014 - 19:45 America/New_York - 4 Comments

10% of the people now have PRIVATE INSURANCE as capitalists take back the system.

THE LOCAL

One in ten Swedes now has private health insurance, often through their employers, with some recipients stating it makes business sense to be seen quickly rather than languish in national health care queues.

More than half a million Swedes now have private health insurance, showed a new review from industry organization Swedish Insurance (Svensk Försäkring). In eight out of ten cases, the person’s employer had offered them the private insurance deal.

“It’s quicker to get a colleague back to work if you have an operation in two weeks’ time rather than having to wait for a year,” privately insured Anna Norlander told Sveriges Radio on Friday. “It’s terrible that I, as a young person, don’t feel I can trust the health care system to take care of me.”

The insurance plan guarantees that she can see a specialist within four working days, and get a time for surgery, if needed, within 15.

In December, the queues in the Swedish health care system pushed the country down a European ranking of healthcare.

“Why can Albania operate its healthcare services with practically zero waiting times, and Sweden cannot?” the report authors from the Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP) organization in Brussels asked, albeit acknowledging modest improvements. “The Swedish queue-shortening project, on which the state has spent approximately €5 billion, has achieved some shortening of waiting times.”

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» 4 Comments

  1. Uncle Al

    January 21st, 2014

    What has govt touched that hasn’t turned to shit?

    Noteworthy Comment Thumb up +10

     
  2. Page Turner

    January 21st, 2014

    Another liberal head – er myth – explodes.

    Thumb up +3

     
  3. Tony R

    January 21st, 2014

    Isn’t Sweden one of those wonderful examples of socialized medicine we used to hear about all the time?

    Thumb up +1

     
  4. bob

    January 22nd, 2014

    TonyR – I think Michael Moore spooged himself over the Swedish system, yes. Or was that France? UK? Cuba! Yes, definitely Cuba.

    One of those places. I’m sure of it. Michael Moore spooged himself over the socialized medicine in one of those places.

    Thumb up 0