Patient charges

Patients always pay charges. It costs less to visit a health centre than to go for a consultation out of hours (i.e. in the evening, at night or at weekends) or to a hospital accident and emergency department.

However, care for children and adolescents up to the age of 20 and checks during pregnancy are free of charge.

When you pay a patient charge you should make sure you get a ‘high-cost card’, on which all your payments are recorded. When you have paid SEK 1100, you are entitled to a ‘free card’. This means that you get medical care free of charge for the rest of the 12-month period, counting from the date of your visit when you paid for the first time.

The patient charge is paid with a debit card or in cash. At some units, payment is by debit card only.

When you have been in hospital, an invoice for the charge is sent to you at home after your hospital stay. This charge is not included in the high-cost protection, and the free card does not apply.