The Social Democratic party congress decided on new political guidelines for healthcare and welfare during the night to Friday. They include, among other things, that the "profit hunt" in welfare should be stopped. How this will be done will be investigated by a "take back control" inquiry if the Social Democrats gain government power.
Regarding preschools, schools, and upper secondary schools, the congress is expected to decide to work towards banning profit-making. There were congress delegates who already wanted to go as far as this also applies to healthcare, and that only activities in public or non-profit management should be permitted.
This is what Sweden needs, said Linn Svansbo, Stockholm.
However, the congress did not want to go that far.
Completely removing private actors would have major implications for our patients, warned Jenny Steen, regional politician in Örebro County.
High-Cost Protection for Dental Care?
The congress also decided to work towards a local veto right for municipalities and regions when privately funded welfare companies want to establish themselves.
Another decision was that the use of staffing companies in healthcare should be severely limited.
There was significant pressure at the congress to be included in the high-cost protection for healthcare.
You should not have to borrow money to afford dental care, said Maja Ullberg, from Gävleborg.
However, the party leadership did not want to go that far. An argument is that dental care, unlike healthcare, has been extensively privatized for a long time and therefore cannot be included in the same system.
Price Regulation
The compromise was that more people should be able to afford dental care through a step-by-step developed high-cost protection "like" healthcare, starting with the elderly. Special efforts will be made for the young.
The party also believes that high-cost protection must be combined with price regulation so that prices do not skyrocket.
Several regional politicians at the congress were also pleased that the party leadership suggested inflation-proofing state subsidies to municipalities and regions. The congress went even further and decided that general and targeted state subsidies should be value-secured every year to keep up with cost-driving factors.
