Danish Health Care

For the most part, Danish health care service is characterised by being publicly financed through taxes and for most of the services by being run directly by the public authorities. A notable exception is dentistry which is regarded as a sepreate area and only partly publicly funded. Medical services are thus for the most part free of charge whereas dental services are, to a large extent, paid for directly by the patient.

In Denmark, priority has been given to free access to most health services for all regardless of their economic situation. Everybody who is a permanent resident in Denmark can benefit from the Danish health care system.

General Practitioners occupy a central position in the Danish health service. This is due to the fact that General Practitioners are the patients' primary contact with the health service. People must be examined by their own GPs before they can be examined and treated by a specialist doctor.
 

This video will tell you about the Danish National Health Care System.  

Two types of insurance groups

People insured under Group 1 have the right to free medical care from their General Practitioner or his/her substitute. It is also the patients' right to visit a different General Practitioner without extra charge while they are temporarily outside their own general practitioner's catchement area in case of sudden illness, accident, etc.

People insured under Group 2 only receive part of the cost of medical care from a General Practitioner. The subsidy they receive corresponds to the cost of similar medical care from a General Practitioner for people in Group 1. However, people in Group 2 may visit any specialist without visiting their General Practitioner first.

The division of responsibility

Hospitals are responsible for specialized examinations, treatment and care of physical and mental illnesses which it would not be more expedient to treat in the primary or social sector because of the need for specialist knowledge, equipment or intensive care and surveillance.

The regions may, after the authorization of the National Board of Health, refer patients to highly specialized treatment abroad paid for by the state. The counties also have the possibility of referring patients to hospitals abroad and paying for the services themselves.

In Denmark, it is customary for local authorities to look after elderly people needing help just as the public authorities provide services for children and people who are ill. Special services are offered to elderly people who need care and assistance. This is also the case with dentists.

For more information on the National Health Care Service, please visit the website of the  National Board of Health at www.sst.dk.