Healthcare in Iceland: Hospitals and Health Insurance
Healthcare in Iceland
With a population of 329,000 in 2015, Iceland ranks 180th in the world by population and 107th by total area. The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. The currency is the Icelandic krona.
Iceland ranks 15th in world health ranking per WHO. In 2014, the total expenditure on health per person was $3,882, which is 8.9% of the GDP. Icelandic males have a life expectancy at birth of 81 years, and females can expect to live 84 years. There are 3.73 physicians per 1,000 people in Iceland as compared with 2.56 physicians per 1,000 people in the United States.
Hospitals in Iceland
Iceland has 18 public hospitals; each medical region has a regional hospital, and the districts all have a few smaller hospitals, providing convenient access to all citizens. All hospitals are funded and managed by the central government through fixed global budgets. These budgets include doctor salaries; doctors employed at less than an 80% post may also see patients in private clinics outside the hospital. There are no private hospitals in Iceland, although there are private clinics, medical specialists, and long-term care facilities.
Health Insurance in Iceland
Iceland has a universal, comprehensive health care system, financed through general taxation (85%) and service fees (15%), and managed by the Minister of Health and Social Security. Everyone who has been living in Iceland for six months is automatically covered. Benefits include long-term and mental health care, inpatient care at either pubic hospitals or private treatment centers, maternity care, preventive information services, and prescription drugs for psychotic disorders. Cost sharing benefits include primary and specialist care, preventive services, dental care for children and those over 66, and pharmaceuticals. Exemptions for cost-sharing include home nursing care, check-ups for children under age 18, and discounts for people whose out-of-pocket yearly costs exceed certain levels. Private insurance is almost non-existent in Iceland.
Travel (International) Health Insurance in Iceland
Many European countries offer European Health Insurance card (EHIC ) which offers coverage for emergency medical coverage when traveling to participating European countries. Travel, or international, health insurance provides comprehensive medical coverage when traveling outside of one’s home country. Travel health insurance is different from travel insurance, as the latter may provide only emergency coverage but not full medical coverage.
Travelers should check with their health insurance provider, as they may already have an option of international health coverage. If they do not, they can purchase travel health insurance from their home country or the destination country.
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