In a major policy shift, the Swedish government, in collaboration with the Sweden Democrats, has proposed ending free dental care for young adults aged 19 to 23 and introducing reduced dental care costs for those aged 67 and above starting next year. This announcement was made during a press conference on Friday.
Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed heralded the proposed changes as the “largest reform of dental care in over 20 years.” The reform aims to overhaul the existing dental care system by introducing a high-cost protection scheme, akin to that found in other healthcare services. This scheme will specifically benefit individuals aged 67 and older, while the current provision of free dental care for young adults will be discontinued.
The expected cost of this reform to the state is approximately 3.4 billion kronor annually, starting in 2026.
Anna Tenje, Minister for Older People and Social Security, emphasized the importance of good dental health and strong family support for maintaining overall health and social integration. She stated, “We’re taking well-considered and targeted measures to improve care for the elderly and their health.”
The reform aims to make dental care more accessible for those in greatest need. A current inquiry into the practical implementation of these changes is scheduled to conclude by October 31 of this year. Despite this, the government is already earmarking 3.4 billion kronor in the upcoming budget to ensure the reform can be enacted by January 1 of next year.
The existing high-cost protection system allows patients to recover 50 percent of dental expenses exceeding 3,000 kronor per year, with reimbursement rising to 85 percent for costs above 15,000 kronor. For example, a dental bill of 20,000 kronor under the current system would result in the patient paying 9,750 kronor, while Försäkringskassan would cover 10,250 kronor.
In contrast, high-cost protection for other healthcare services caps patient fees at 1,400 kronor within any 12-month period.
Linda Lindberg, the Sweden Democrats’ group leader in parliament, indicated that this reform is only the beginning. “We are taking the first step with the elderly and aim to extend the high-cost protection system to the broader population in the future,” she noted.
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