Dental care subsidy eroded by rising prices
The central government allocates about SEK 8 billion annually to the dental care subsidy scheme. The Swedish National Audit Office’s audit shows that the dental care subsidy needs to be reviewed so that the money better benefits patients.
The central government dental care subsidy scheme is to limit patients’ costs and contribute to better dental health. The Swedish National Audit Office notes that the structure does not fully operate as intended.
For example, the dental care subsidy has led to higher prices – the higher the central government subsidy, the more providers seem to raise their prices. This means that the subsidy partially ends up with the provider rather than with the patient.
The structure of the dental care subsidy relies on patients being well informed and challenging prices. This has not been the case; patients are generally poorly informed about prices, treatments and dental care subsidies. This situation is exacerbated by dental care providers too rarely fulfilling their obligations to inform patients – and no operator follows up on rule compliance.
“One in five patients are not even aware that prices can vary and there are no guidelines on how high prices can be. In addition, patients are at an informational disadvantage in relation to their dentist,” says Auditor General Christina Gellerbrant Hagberg.
The Swedish National Audit Office therefore considers that the dental care subsidy needs to be reviewed to improve price competition to ensure that the subsidy better benefits patients. The dental care subsidy also needs to focus on more preventive procedures for people with the greatest dental care needs.
“Otherwise, there is a great risk that minor problems that could easily have been addressed grow to major problems requiring expensive treatments, which is costly for both the patient and society,” says Filippa Hagersten, project leader for the audit.
For the system to work, the position of patients needs to be strengthened. For example, the Government should assign a government agency overall responsibility for informing patients.
Recommendations in brief
Our recommendations to the Government include:
- strengthening the patients’ position in the dental care market by bringing the responsibility for informing patients under one agency
- ensuring that the dental care subsidy benefits patients more and that the subsidy more effectively encourages preventive dental care.
Recommendations to the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency include developing communication on their price comparison service to highlight price differences.
Central government dental care subsidies
High-cost protection: The central government pays 50% of costs above SEK 3000 according to the reference price list and 85% of costs above SEK 15,000 according to the reference price list.
General dental care subsidy (ATB): Aims to encourage examinations and preventive dental care. SEK 300 or SEK 600/year, depending on the patient’s age.
Special dental care subsidy (STB): For preventive dental care for people with certain diseases or disabilities. SEK 600/6 months.
Special dental care compensation for people over 67 years: To be introduced in 2026. Not covered in the audit.