Researchers at University of Uppsala Release New Data on Health and Society (Health insurance for the healthy? Voluntary health insurance in Sweden)

2019 JUL 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Fresh data on Health and Medicine - Health and Society are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating from Uppsala, Sweden, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “In Sweden, voluntary health insurance is held only by a very small part of the population, but uptake has grown rapidly since 2000. So far, little is known about who purchases this insurance and what the insurance plans contain.”

Financial supporters for this research include Vardalstiftelsen, Vardalstiftelsen and Forum for Health Policy.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Uppsala, “To provide a comprehensive description of the coverage and content of voluntary health insurance in Sweden. Data from a national survey (Riks-SOM 2016) were used to estimate insurance coverage in different population groups. Additionally, a qualitative content analysis of the voluntary health insurance plans from seven of the largest insurance companies in Sweden was conducted. Voluntary health insurance was found to be more common among high income-earners, individuals employed in the private sector, business owners, and white-collar workers. Insurance benefits varied from visiting a general practitioner to more specialised treatments like knee or hip surgery. Pre-existing medical conditions, emergency medicine, highly specialised care and ongoing chronic care was excluded from the insurance plans. Work-related factors such as employment sector, occupation and income appeared to be key determinants for VHI uptake in Sweden. Since the insurance plans included several restrictions, individuals with high care needs are excluded.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Taken together, the results indicate that voluntary health insurance in Sweden provide benefits foremost for the healthy and wealthy.”

For more information on this research see: Health insurance for the healthy? Voluntary health insurance in Sweden. Health Policy, 2019;123(8):737-746. Health Policy can be contacted at: Elsevier Sci Ireland LTD, Customer Relations Manager, Bay 15, Shannon Industrial Estate CO, Clare, Ireland. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Health Policy - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/health-policy/)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting L. Kullberg, Dept. of Public Health and Caring Sciences, University of Uppsala, Box 564, SE-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden. Additional authors for this research include P. Blomqvist and U. Winblad.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.06.004. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal Health Policy is: Elsevier Sci Ireland LTD, Customer Relations Manager, Bay 15, Shannon Industrial Estate CO, Clare, Ireland.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)