Swedish Healthcare "Not Working"

Empirically, wait times for treatment seem to be an unsolvable tag-along to national health care systems. Sweden's experience is just another example.

From The Local:

Health Minister Goran Hagglund has criticized the lack of progress made toward shortening wait times in Sweden's health system.

He made the comments in an opinion article published in Dagens Nyheter in which he stated that the 250 million kronor spent by the government on lowering wait times has apparently had a little effect.

The criticism comes in response to a report by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) showing that nearly 45 percent of patients have longer wait times than are supposedly guaranteed by the healthcare system.

"These figures are not satisfactory. They show that we haven't approached the problem of availability with the level of force needed," said Hagglund to news agency TT.

Since 2005, Sweden's health system has been governed by a "healthcare guarantee" (Vardgarantin) between the national and regional governments. The guarantee states that county councils, which have primary responsibility for healthcare administration, promise to treat patients within 90 days.

If treatment cannot be administered by the patient's primary hospital within 90 days, the county is to then help the patient find an alternative location within the county or even recommend the patient to a hospital in another county.

Notably, Sweden can't solve the problem of excessively long wait times with a population of only nine million people. Imagine the problems with wait times when the proposed National Hillary Care is thrust upon the U.S. with 300,000,000 people.

Companion post at SocGlory.