Patient charges for healthcare in Skåne

Healthcare is free if:

• you are under 20 years of age
• you are 85 years old or over.

At healthcare centres

• Your appointment is free when you see a nurse (sjuksköterska), an assistant nurse (undersköterska) or a community health nurse (distriktssköterska).
• Everything else at the healthcare centre costs 200 kronor.  For example, if you see a doctor.

At hospitals or if you see another specialist care provider

• It costs 300 kronor to see a doctor.
  
  But if you have a referral, it only costs 100 kronor. You may get a referral from a doctor at the healthcare centre, for example. You will get a referral if you need care at another clinic.
• It costs 400 kronor to visit the emergency department.
• Everything else at the hospital costs 200 kronor – for example, seeing a nurse (sjuksköterska), psychologist (psykolog), medical social worker (kurator), occupational therapist (arbetsterapeut) or rehabilitation coordinator (rehabiliteringskoordinator).

Some appointments are always free

Your appointment will be free if:

• You are under 70 years of age and are having a smear test. The test can show if you have, or are at risk of getting, cervical cancer.
• You have a disability and get support and treatment for it. This is called habilitation (habilitering).
• You are called for a mammogram so your breasts can be examined. The check can show if you have, or are at risk of getting, breast cancer.
• You are attending a midwifery clinic or a children’s healthcare centre.
• You are between twelve and twenty-three years of age and attending a young people’s clinic.

Are you not able to come to your appointment?

Please contact the clinic as soon as possible. There is no charge if you cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance. If you cancel later than that, you will have to pay a fee. You will still have to pay this fee even if you have a payment exemption card. 

The charge only applies to those aged 20 years or above. 

How much you have to pay for late cancellations 

• Appointment at a healthcare centre: 400 kronor 
• Appointment at a hospital or for specialist care: 600 kronor (even if you have been referred) 

You must still cancel even if the appointment would have been free for you. Otherwise you will usually have to pay a fee of 300 kronor. 

You do not always have to pay a cancellation fee 

You will not have to pay a cancellation fee in the following situations: 

• You have received a personal invitation to attend an examination, and have not yourself asked to be examined.
   
  For example, examinations in the form of a breast mammography or an examination of the aorta. 
   
• You are younger than 20 years of age. 

How to pay the fee 

You will receive an invoice in the post. (The invoice is called a faktura.) 

Have you been sent an invoice that you believe is incorrect? If so, call the clinic that you attended. The telephone number will be stated on the invoice. 

You can pay for your healthcare by debit card or in cash.

You can also choose to pay for your healthcare later. In this case, a bill called an invoice will be sent to your home. It is more expensive to pay by invoice. You have to pay for your healthcare and also another 50 kronor for the invoice itself.

The invoice will arrive by post at the start of the month. You must pay it by the end of the month. It is important that you pay on time. Otherwise, you will get a new bill and will have to pay an extra 60 kronor.

If you think the invoice is incorrect

Have you been sent an invoice that you believe is incorrect? If so, call the clinic that you attended. The telephone number will be stated on the invoice.

You will not have to pay more than 1,300 kronor for healthcare in twelve months. This is called high-cost protection.

An example: You see a doctor in April. You then have several healthcare appointments. In October you have paid a total of 1,300 kronor. You can then ask for an exemption card and will not need to pay for any more healthcare until April the next year. That will be twelve months after your first appointment.

Have you had to stay in hospital? Your exemption card is not valid there and you will have to pay for your care.

How to get a payment exemption card

Have you paid 1,300 kronor during the past 12 months? 

If so, you can ask for a payment exemption card. Talk to the reception staff at the clinic or healthcare centre. 

You can also ask them to check if you are not sure how much you have paid. 

Sometimes you may have to stay in hospital. For example, if you need medical care for several days. Your exemption card is not valid there and you will have to pay for your care.

Here are the costs of staying in hospital:

• You pay 120 kronor each day for the first thirty days.
• After thirty days, you pay 60 kronor each day instead.
  You will get a bill in the post.

It may be possible for you to pay less for your care

In some cases you may be able to pay less for your stay in hospital. For example, if you do not earn very much money. That means you earn less than 8,400 kronor before tax each month. You also pay less if you are a senior citizen.

Here are the costs you pay instead:

• You pay 120 kronor each day for the first five days.
• After five days, you pay 60 kronor each day instead.

Are you unable to work and so get money from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan)? In some cases you may only have to pay 60 kronor each day.

This applies if:

• You have a health condition or a disability
• You are getting full sickness benefit (hel sjukersättning) or full activity compensation (hel aktivitetsersättning)
• You are under 40 years of age

How to apply to pay less

Do you want to apply to pay less? Ask care staff to help.