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Swedes go here to avoid healthcare queues

The Riga-based company recruits Swedish patients, particularly in the field of orthopedics, in private hospitals in the Baltic States. We work with everything from occupational health to the Norrbotten region.

“We offer a complete solution for Swedish patients, helping them from the first assessment interview, matching them with a suitable hospital in the Baltic States, meeting them at the airport and then also helping them apply for compensation from the Social Insurance Agency,” says Tatjana Jakošina.

Compressed Care in 2024

Runaway costs

Currently, there are around 160,000 people in Sweden waiting for surgery. Some seek help abroad. There has been a slight increase in recent years. This applies to everything from cancer treatments in Helsinki to knee operations in Riga or ADHD studies in Copenhagen.

The bill for about 1,300 rides per year is covered by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). For the state, it is no more expensive than if the treatment were carried out in Sweden, but it does mean that Swedish health care money goes to foreign health care companies.

“I think it is a good alternative, because people who travel abroad shorten the waiting time for those who are waiting for treatment in Sweden. In addition, you prevent unnecessary sick leave, because these patients can return to work more quickly,” says Tatiana Jakoshina.

SKR: “Failure”

According to Swedish municipalities and regions (SKR), it is important to check for yourself whether there is insurance that covers all costs that may arise if something goes wrong.

– It’s harder to get help when something happens abroad than in Sweden, where there’s a very developed system. You have to pay attention to what you’re doing and do your research before you go, says Johan Karmi, head of care and welfare at SKR.

In most cases, the patient must be able to pay for the treatment themselves, sometimes hundreds of thousands of crowns, and it can take a long time for the Social Insurance Bank to reimburse the compensation. SKR, the Swedish healthcare company, sees both problems and opportunities in traveling abroad.

“The waiting time is not what we want, so if it can improve care, that’s a good thing, but if you register abroad for reasons of dissatisfaction, that’s a failure. You don’t want to have to send a patient abroad unnecessarily,” says Carmi.

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