For several years, some foreigners have been able to receive dental care in Sweden for SEK 50. In practice, the cost has been borne by Swedish taxpayers. Now the government says the system will be changed - but there are many indications that the bill will ultimately be the same.
The so-called “50-lappen” has meant that dental care could be provided for SEK 50, regardless of what the treatment actually costs. These are not small sums, but treatments that would otherwise cost thousands of kronor. At the same time, the public sector has borne the bulk of the cost, which means that Swedish taxpayers have financed the system.
The consequence is clear: people without legal right to stay in the country have had access to heavily subsidized care, while those who pay into the system themselves face significantly higher fees. Government now acknowledges the problem.
– Current rules lead to unfair fees in dental care, says Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed.
On Monday, a legislative referral to be examined by the Legislative Council.
New system - same final bill
The government now wants to abolish the fixed fee and replace it with a model where payment is based on ability. This means that adult foreigners would pay a “reasonable amount” - but only if they have income or assets. For people without a permit in Sweden, the full price will apply according to the fees charged by health care providers.
But the crucial detail is in the next step. Anyone who is unable to pay should be able to receive financial assistance from social services. This means that the cost does not disappear, but in many cases continues to be financed by taxpayers, but via grants instead of direct subsidies. The system changes in form, but not necessarily in practice.
Kasselstrand: points to what it actually says
Alternative for Sweden party leaders Gustav Kasselstrand strongly criticizes the change, saying it makes no real difference.
”Illegal aliens will continue to receive free dental care in Sweden.Tidöpartierna tries to hide the fiasco by marketing it as a change. They claim that the ”50-lappen” will be removed but in reality it will remain.”, he writes on X.
It is this part that shows how the system can continue to work in practice, despite being presented as a change. The criticism is that the cost still falls on the public purse, even if the way to get there is different.
Reinfeldt: policy would punish voters
The reason to the system was added in 2011 under the then Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt government through the scandalous migration deal with the Green Party. In a high-profile statement, he himself described how the policy targeted voters who opposed the development.
- We will isolate them from influence.
- The effect of the SD was that we got a policy in the opposite direction.
It shows that politics was not really about substance, but about punishing voters who did not conform.
What happens next?
The amendments are proposed to enter into force on January 2, 2027. The proposal will first be reviewed by the Council on Legislation before it may be submitted to Parliament.
On paper, the 50-lappen will disappear and be replaced by a more individual system. In practice, the proposal suggests that Swedish taxpayers can continue to bear the cost, as the benefit system takes over where subsidies used to be. The difference is not in who pays - but in how it is accounted for.
The fraudulent Democrats have fooled us yet again as it is still the taxpayers who are footing the bill for these bills.