egenandel

Egenandel is a term used in several Nordic languages to denote the portion of health care costs that a patient must pay out of pocket, rather than being covered by public funding or insurance. The concept applies to a range of services, including visits to general practitioners and specialists, hospital care, prescribed medications, and some dental services. The exact amount designated as egenandel and the rules about when it applies vary by country and by service, but most systems use some form of annual cap, exemptions, or a sliding scale so that high-cost care remains affordable for individuals.

In practice, egenandel serves to share the costs of health care between the state and the user while preserving access to essential services. Many policies set a yearly threshold or cap, after which further care becomes free or heavily subsidized. Exemptions are common for groups such as children, students, elderly, people with low income, or those with chronic conditions, and for emergency care, depending on the jurisdiction.

The design of egenandel aims to balance budgetary sustainability with universal access. Debates around it often focus on how co-payments influence care-seeking behavior, equity, and the overall fairness of the health care system. Related concepts include co-payment, out-of-pocket payments, and health care financing structures in welfare states.