The Swedish Medical Association rejects the proposal that the government calls "updated high-cost protection for medicines". The trade union believes that it seems as if the government has decided how many billions to save long before deciding how to do it.
The association, like many remitters, is calling for an analysis of the consequences of increasing the patient fee for medicines from 2,900 kronor per year and person to 3,800, from July 1 this year. An increase of 900 kronor or 30 percent.
"The Swedish Medical Association also fears that the raised ceiling and the significant increase in the first step risk leading to patients in economic distress refraining from medicine treatment, resulting in suffering and worsened illness."
Lacking Analysis
The Swedish Agency for Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits writes:
"An increased patient fee increases the risk of patients refraining from collecting medicines and consumables due to economic reasons. The consequences at an overall level and for individual groups are not described in the proposal."
The Agency for Healthcare and Social Services Analysis believes that there are reasons to review the patient fees, but the government has not made any analysis of the increased costs for patients.
"We see that it particularly risks affecting groups with high medicine consumption and low incomes. It can, for example, concern multi-diseased patients with poor economy," the agency writes.
Cause Suffering
The organization Funktionsrätt, which represents over 50 associations for the disabled, rejects the proposal.
"These proposals risk increasing societal costs and causing significant personal suffering when people are forced to refrain from prescribed medicines due to economic difficulties," Funktionsrätt writes and emphasizes:
"Even if the increase in the cost ceiling may seem small, it can have serious consequences for people with small economic margins."
Today, the individual pays 2,900 kronor themselves during a 12-month period before the state takes over the entire cost. Then, a free card is given.
After July 1 this year, the government and SD want the individual to pay 900 kronor more, 3,800, for their own medicines before a free card is given.
The government motivates the increase by stating that the state's share of the cost of high-cost protection has increased much more than the patients' own fees.
The patients' share of the cost of medicines is expected to increase by approximately half a billion this year, up to 2.2 billion next year and 2.7 billion in 2027.
The proposal also includes that the individual will have to pay the entire cost of medicines up to 2,000 kronor, compared to today's 1,450 kronor, as well as 75 percent of the cost of medicines between 2,000 and almost 3,600 kronor.
Source: The Government
