this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2025
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I naively expected that all of Europe had health care figured out. The bullshit $450 USD bill I got in Sweden for existing in the same room with a doctor for 15 minutes taught me otherwise.
Your experience is more realistic than the one in the post. EU citizens in EU countries "don't pay" for healthcare services because it's already paid through taxes, foreigners are supposed to be billed because they don't pay taxes in the EU. (it doesn't always happen tho, you know, administrative error, oops)
Not necessarily true for all foreigners. Australia has reciprocal healthcare agreements with many EU countries. That means if an Aussie visits those countries, healthcare is covered and the opposite is true as well. Whereas that wouldn't apply for a USian.
Well you don't pay for it but your country's mutual assistance fund does that for you. That's the same arrangement intra-EU.
As far as I'm aware, it's just a "we cover your citizens if you cover our citizens" sort of arrangement.
You know how in many poor countries, they'll charge you higher prices because they (rightly) think that you're a westerner and can thus pay much higher prices than the locals? I heavily suspect that was basically that. Swedes aren't paying $450 USD for 15 minutes doctor time.
I figured as much, but it was jarring to receive worse care and for way more money than I would have paid at home (even uninsured).
Yeah, as a German, the quality of care isn't necessarily that great (though I never experience the US healthcare system to compare). Many European countries have been heavily cutting corners in the last 1-2 decades. I've been to several doctors who, after waiting like 3 months for an appointment, have been practically useless. "I tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas" kind of shit, and for several different issues. They're fine with simple/obvious stuff, but once it's slightly difficult to figure out or any kind of mental health issue you're pretty much just going there to be able to tell your employer that you're trying, and maybe get lucky with medication.
I'm sure there's levels of competency, but it seems a large part of the failure of the US healthcare itself is when doctors have to try and convince the insurance corporation that they do have education and experience and the procedure or medication they recommended to help someone is valid. As if the insurance company knows better and is trying to protect the patient... right.
Prior Authorizations as an idea, are just the insurance company playing doctor. They should be illegal, the company doesn't have a medical license.
The insurance companies do have doctors on staff though. They're just incentivised to deny everything lest they get fired.
Are you American?
I'm pretty sure most developed countries have reciprocal agreements with other developed countries that cover emergencies. If an Australian breaks an arm while in Norway, I don't think they're going to get a bill.
But, of course, the US is different. Countries can't have reciprocal agreements with the US, because the US has a for-profit system. If a Swede has to go to the hospital in the US, they better hope they have travel insurance. So, if an American goes to Sweden, they're also going to get billed. And if you think $450 is an expensive medical bill for someone without insurance in the US, you're dreaming.
Yes.
I said it was possible to get a bare bones GP visit without insurance in the US for less than $450. I’m fully aware the system is broken and a car accident or serious injury will almost certainly bankrupt individuals without insurance.
But apples-to-apples comparison, the care in Sweden was worse for more money.
It's at the high end of what you might expect in the US, but it's not far outside the range. This page estimates that a typical visit costs between $150 and $450. But, the cost of an ER visit without insurance is in the multiple thousands.
What you did if you went to see a random doctor in Sweden is probably more similar to an ER visit, not because it's an emergency, but because it it's not the easy case of someone just visiting their family doctor. A doctor in the US is probably used to seeing uninsured patients and has a standard way of billing them. But, a doctor in Sweden is probably not used to dealing with patients who aren't covered under the Swedish system (or under an EU country's system that has a reciprocal agreement with Sweden). If you lived there long-term, you'd be integrated into their system. So, I assume you weren't seeing your regular doctor, you were seeing a doctor who had to handle a special case of an American without travel insurance. So, they have to figure out how to do all the required paperwork, and pay all the people who need to get paid when a doctor sees a patient, but without the standard procedures. So, you pay extra to deal with that one-off paperwork.
So, the expense isn't because healthcare in Sweden is expensive in general. It's expensive for you because dealing with uninsured Americans is not something they normally do, and it's a pain in the ass, so it has a high price.
Is that for tourists or citizens?
I don’t know about Sweden, but in Canada there is a sign with the prices for non-Canadians next to the check in desk in the Emergency. I’m willing to bet that even though it was expensive, it’s still cheaper than the US.
Which is why many Americans cross the border for healthcare.
For what it’s worth, the language barrier was pretty significant from a written signs perspective. I showed up at what I guessed was the right spot, went inside, gave them my passport, and they returned it with a bill for $450 (it was expressed in kr, but this is what it converted to). I eventually went in and spoke to a doctor who took no vitals, did no tests, and gave me no medicine. And that was the visit.
I’ve seen a doctor as an American with no insurance a number of times. For a basic GP visit, it’s probably half that price and that’s with basic vitals included.
Not sure for Sweden but usually it's for citizens or permanent residents. Populations tend to not appreciate their taxes going toward foreign entities. That said, the drug prices etc. are at their actual value, so an example of a trip to a GP and getting prescription pain relief, it would be about $40-60 USD depending on circumstances.