Health policy in Sweden: striving for equity and efficiency

This chapter provides an overview of the Swedish health care system which was created after 1945 with the aim of providing equal access to high-quality health services for all citizens. The strive for equality resulted in a uniquely public system, both with regards to financing and delivery. In recent decades, the system has undergone marketization reforms, leading to a more mixed provision structure, particularly in the outpatient sector. The autonomy of the regional health authorities has led to most health governance in Sweden being soft in nature, with policies implemented mainly through non-binding recommendations and agreements between the government and regions. Political conflict in Swedish health care has been shaped by class divisions and the left/right ideological spectrum, with right-wing governments pursuing privatization and leftist governments advocating equal access and public health measures. Despite recent reforms that stimulated a more consumerist health care sector, social equity remains a central guiding principle.