Free healthcare in Denmark seems to be a hot topic from the lips of Bernie Sanders to the news these days, so I thought I’d write a post from the front lines about this much lauded free Danish healthcare.
First, let’s get one thing straight. Free healthcare in Denmark is not free. Danish healthcare is an 8% line item deduction of gross pay. Free healthcare in Denmark does not cover physicals, vision or dental care, and mental health services are only partially covered and only in certain situations. Prescriptions are full price until a personal annual threshold is reached, then they are progressively discounted as the spend increases. My first asthma prescription this year cost me around $200, and I paid $35 just yesterday for prescription strength B-12 tablets. In nearly six years, I’ve never had my total yearly prescription cost in Denmark come in below that of my $10 – $20 US co-pay.
I pay roughly six times as much for my free healthcare in Denmark as I did for my employer-sponsored plan in the US, and it covers far less. But that’s not the point of this post. The point of this post is to tell you what it’s like to live with free healthcare in Denmark.
Free Healthcare in Denmark: My First-Hand Experience
When I first came to Denmark, I lived in a large town in Jutland and I’ve written some not so favorable things about my healthcare experiences there. My favorite one was the time I called my doctor because I’d suddenly developed floaters in my eye, which could indicate a detaching retina and need for urgent care, but she just asked me if I was sure it wasn’t just some dirt in my eye. I still have the floaters, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t dirt ; -)
During that time, I also developed a skin condition, which she’d diagnosed as rosacea. I couldn’t find a single description online that matched my symptoms, so I was skeptical, but I’m not one to trust Google over a doctor, so I accepted her diagnosis.
Then I moved to Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city and things vastly improved. My GP is wonderful! Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this guy. As soon as I told him I’ve been a strict vegetarian for years, he identified my skin condition as a B-12 deficiency, not rosacea. He ordered a blood test to confirm his diagnosis, B-12 injections and tablets, and follow-up tests over the next six months to make sure my levels were back to normal. He was incredibly supportive and helpful in getting me back on track when my company hired a sociopath as my direct boss and the harassment became too much for me to handle. And for the first time in my life, my asthma is well-managed.
I’m angry that my first doctor didn’t take the time to make a proper diagnosis. Prolonged B-12 deficiency can cause irreversible damage, and I was deficient for at least a couple of years before moving to Aarhus. I shudder to think what would’ve happened if she’d still been my doctor when the sociopath joined my department.
There are bad doctors everywhere. And despite my initial impressions of free healthcare in Denmark based on my first experiences in semi-rural Jutland, my experience was more indicative of that particular doctor than of the system. Aside from my 8% payroll deduction, and the cost of the injectable B-12, I’ve paid nothing for the services of my GP.
So what happens when you need to see a specialist?
Robert has had a painful ganglion cyst on his wrist for awhile, it’s been getting bigger and more painful, so he finally decided to do something about it. Our awesome GP was the first port of call. He referred Robert on December 2 to an orthopedic surgeon specializing in surgery of the hand and lower arm, whom he saw on December 17. The surgeon decided it would be best to remove the cyst under a local anesthetic, and scheduled surgery for January 25th.
On the day of surgery, the surgeon determined that the cyst was too deep to be removed under a local anesthetic, and they rescheduled the surgery to February 24.
It took 15 days from GP referral to specialist visit, then another 39 days to the first surgery date, and another 30 to the second surgery date. The surgeries could’ve been scheduled about a week earlier in each instance, but the timing wasn’t convenient. Based on the first available surgery dates, it would’ve taken approximately two months from Robert’s first GP visit to the day of surgery. I know a lot of people worry that government run healthcare in the US would result in massive waiting lists and delays, but I think two months from start to finish is a reasonable timeframe for non-essential surgery in any system.
We had very positive surgery day experience. Aside from the half hour or so he was in the operating room, I was with Robert the entire time, including when the anesthesiologist was administering the nerve block. The hospital staff were so nice, making sure I had somewhere to sit, cracking jokes, telling us about the types of surgeries they do in the clinic, and speaking English to make sure I understood everything. When Robert’s surgery was finished, they brought me to him right away. Of course it’s their job to make sure he was comfortable and relaxed, but they went above and beyond what was expected and required.
The Danish healthcare experience in general is very casual. My doctor wears jeans and Chuck Taylors to the office and I call him by his first name. They’re not so bogged down in insurance regulations and fear of malpractice suits that they forget how comforting it is to have a familiar face with you while they’re poking you with IV catheters, etc. Surgery in the US usually comes with several prescription painkillers and antibiotics, but the only thing prescribed here was ibuprofen, if needed. It wasn’t.
Our out of pocket cost for Robert’s GP appointment, specialist visit, and surgery is zip, zero, zilch, nada! It’s all covered by our 8% healthcare contribution.
So, which system is better… the US or Denmark?
Do I prefer my free Danish healthcare to my US plan? Apples and oranges. My US plan was cheaper and had offered more coverage, but I also recognize that I worked for a huge company and that my coverage was the exception rather than the rule. Which I prefer is neither here nor there anyway, I live in Denmark. This is the system I have, and irrespective of cost, which is out of my control, I’m happy with the services Robert and I receive in Aarhus. And being self-employed, having a national healthcare plan gives me one less thing to worry about.
It is possible to get private insurance in Denmark, which allows you to jump the queue if you need to see a specialist with a long waiting list, enables you to be treated in a private hospital, and covers things like mental health services. I had this coverage before I resigned from my job last summer, and aside from the mental health services, which I needed because of the sociopath that happened on their watch, I never used it.
So free healthcare in Denmark isn’t actually free, but it is accessible to all, and the standard of care can be very high. Is this the right system for the US? Not my call.
What do you think? Tell me in the comments :)
Miss Apple Abroad says
I can relate to this post so much! Other Americans look at me with wide-eyed jealousy and ask me about, “Free Socialized Healthcare”, in Europe as if they’re handing out a free pony with every GP visit over here. I guess when you compare it to having to worry about losing your insurance, getting sick and racking up thousands of dollars being sick it really does seem preferable to the US, but neither system is perfect. In Switzerland, all insurance is private and you employer doesn’t pay a dime of it, but everyone is required to buy into the system. And there’s no such thing as dental insurance. You can get cheapo catastrophic insurance or you can get the fancy stuff… mine’s somewhere in the middle. I pay everything out of pocket, doctor’s visits, tests, prescriptions, up to a deductible, then my insurance pays. Oh, and that’s on top of my monthly premium. In spite of that fact, I find going to the Doc’s in Switzerland much more pleasant than it was in the U.S, even with the language barrier. I feel like I’m treated more like a human, and the Swiss love efficiency so there’s much less of a waiting period to get in to see specialists. I don’t think it’s exactly what every American has on their wish-list when they think of universal healthcare, but I’ll happily pay more money for a better user experience. I paid a lot for my U.S healthcare too and got treated like garbage by my HMO!
Sage says
In Denmark, we get unicorns…lol!
The cost of dental care in Denmark is crazy, if you need extensive work, it’s often cheaper to go abroad to have it done, even with the travel expenses. Fortuantely, I have good teeth, so it’s not much of a problem for me.
Thanks for sharing a bit about the Swiss system. People often think of Europe as a whole and forget that it’s a continent made up of many countries, each with their own way of doing things.
Miss Apple Abroad says
Ha! It’s funny how Americans sometimes think we’re the United States of Europe when in reality European countries have vastly different cultural sensibilities and ways of doing things. A lot of Swiss people go abroad for dental work. I haven’t tried that yet. Unless you have family in a country that’s easy to travel to I think that’s penny wise and pound foolish though when you think about the expense of travel and then what happens if it goes wrong and you need to go back! I’d just rather pay for a good doc in Switzerland.
Tori Gabriel says
The healthcare sounds good in Denmark (obviously not the first doctor but after that…) Here in the UK, we have a good healthcare system. I couldn’t imagine having the American system.
Sage says
Now that I’m self-employed, you couldn’t pay me to go back to the US system. It was cool to not even have to consider healthcare when deciding whether or not to go freelance.
Jonathan says
My experiences have been mixed. Jenni’s CF specialists have been amazing, costs of drugs have been vastly cheaper as well. We all know how inflated drug prices can be, especially with rare diseases, but her worries have gone way down not having to deal with greed and inconsistencies of insurance companies. Her health has improved hugely since being here. Way more meticulous and attentive too.
I’ve had mixed experiences. My doctor in the tiny town I lived in before aarhus was basically Doctor Quinn, medicine woman. Docs here are much better.
Sage says
I’m so happy to hear that about Jenni! I used to be a fundraiser for CFF and I’m well aware of the challenges CF families face with the US system.
Most things are better in Aarhus :)
Barbara Paola says
I don’t know what the answer is for health care. I do know that out of my retiree pension, from a large insurer (but P&C, not health insurance) I pay roughly 1/3 of my monthly pension to cover myself and my son. When my husband turned 65, I got a letter from the company for which I worked for 35 years that – yes they will cover him – for almost an additonal $300 a month – BUT benefits would be paid as if he were covered by Medicare. Didn’t matter whether or not he actually HAD Medicare, benefit payments would end up being next to nothing.
And for 2016, the benefits have gone way down while the premium increased. For example, I need to get blood tests every 3-4 months. I used to pay around $20-25 for them. I went 2 weeks ago and they told me it would cost me $125 out of pocket (haven’t gotten the bill yet). Also my son is on 2 medications for acne (Aczone and Epidual) and neither one will be covered in 2016. At all. And when they were covered, I had to find online coupons to reduce my copay to around $60 for each.
I can’t imagine what they cost out of pocket. I scrambled to get refills before the first of the year, but will be running out soon. Hopefully the dermatologist will have an alternative.
I have not had a whole dollar copay for years. Many years…since happened before I retired in 2006. I’m back to (basically) the 80% (covered) -20% (copay) that I had when I first got this insurance in 1971……IF I can get it covered at all. God forbid someone makes a coding mistake. For one mammogram I had, they coded it wrong and denied coverage. It took months to get THAT straightened out.
I don’t know if it’s just my retiree insurance…but I have a feeling that when *I’m* eligible for Medicare (which isn’t that many years away) they won’t want to cover me or will charge me more yet pay less.
Something is still wrong with the system, at least for me. :(
Sage says
Your plan sounds awful! It reminds me of a plan I once had when I suffered a severe asthma attack and ended up with a $956 bill for a mile and a half ambulance ride. My husband at the time worked for a health insurance company, go figure. Absolutely shameful!
Felicita Moncada says
It is interesting to see other countries healthcare. I pay close to $500 a month on healthcare that is provided by my employer for 4 of us. I think it is so pricey! Doctor visits are $35. Prescription prices vary but I got prescribed Iron pills because I’m anemic and my insurance won’t cover it. I have to pay $106 for them! It is obvious by the test that I am iron deficient so why deny them? Why can’t they cover them? I guess there are positive and negatives to everything.
Sage says
If it’s any consolation, $500 is quite a bit less than the 8% deduction I pay just for my coverage in the land of “free” healthcare.
Katie says
I’m all for universal health care. There have been too many times where I’ve known people who simply went without because their employer didn’t provide health care and they couldn’t afford private insurance. They were one ER trip from bankruptcy, and it wasn’t their fault.
Sage says
That is a terrifying thought. I’ve known people in the States who’ve rationed their prescriptions, and removed their own stitches because they can’t afford the out of pocket cost. People in Denmark just can’t comprehend that.
Cara says
Thank you for your post! I was curious what the medical coverage was like in Denmark. I have co-workers from Switzerland and they are thrilled with the coverage they get over there. Comparing coverages between countries is very interesting!
Sage says
You’re welcome, Cara. I’m glad you found it interesting :)
Twinmumanddad says
The healthcare in the UK is pretty good. I’ve never had a bad experience. I couldn’t cope with the American healthcare system, nor could I probably afford it.
Sage says
That’s great to hear! Especially since I hope to end up in the UK some day :)
Tami says
I’m so mad about the direction healthcare insurance has went these past few years. I am paying so much in monthly premiums that I can’t afford to make the doctor’s visit. I am very thankful for the free services our Indian card provides our children. I’d have to get another job just to pay for their healthcare.
Sage says
My sister works for an American health insurance company, and from what she says, your situation sounds like a common story. How frustrating that the system was supposed to improve, but has gotten worse instead!
MrsTee says
I’ve heard and seen things about Denmark’s medical coverage but it is so interesting to hear a first hand account of the benefits. I know this is something I would love to see started in some form here in the US…
Sage says
I think it would be very interesting to see an American interpretation of this system, mainly because of the huge difference in population numbers. Denmark’s population is pretty much the size of one medium-sized US state. I can’t imagine the logistics of trying to organize a system like this on such a large scale.
Elayne says
Just goes to show that “free healthcare” is not really free. My mother lives in Australia and there is a waiting list for EVERYTHING on their free heath care system. As long as I can afford to pay for my own medical care I will do so, because I want service when I want it.
Sage says
The money always has to come from somewhere. Given the amount of tax we pay, I’m easily annoyed when people talk about all the “free” stuff in Denmark.
Jen says
I think I could write a novel about socialised health care both in the UK and in Denmark. At last count, the husband and I have visited about 15 or 16 hospitals over the past 5 years and about the only positive thing I can say is at least we’re not in thousands of pounds worth of debt. Don’t even get me started on dental care in Denmark – I’m apparently a cautionary tale that new dentists learn about in school. A what not to do as it were.
Sage says
To be fair, dental care isn’t part of the “free” healthcare in Denmark ; -)
Marzy says
I was traveling in Copenhagen (US Citizen) and had a bike accident on my 2nd day of my trip. A passerby stopped to help, called the ambulance & I was on my way to the hospital with a 15cm gash across the top of my knee. I held it together (physically & mentally) the whole way to the hospital and while getting treatment. When I was done receiving 18 stitches, I asked how I pay & the doctor said, well, this is Denmark. All we ask is that take care of yourself and get well. I lost it and started crying in relief & gratitude! My bill for the ambulance ride, 18 stitches, & Penicillin to round out my trip – ZERO DOLLARS! Why can’t we all just take care of each other?