Logo

Is using an ambulance really free in countries with universal healthcare, or are there hidden costs like deductibles that people should know about?

12.06.2025 16:39

Is using an ambulance really free in countries with universal healthcare, or are there hidden costs like deductibles that people should know about?

Ambulance and treatment is provided as needed, not necessarily by a patient wants.

An ambulance can also be a helicopter if that is better, for example if you are far from a road, or it’s much faster.

Ambulance stations are distributed similar to fire stations, to be able to reach different places in a hurry. Fire stations are also tax financed, as are the police and the military, and a lot of other common functions.

The Trump admin ordered a coal power plant to stay on past retirement. Customers in 15 states will foot the bill - CNN

For an emergency, you or someone call the national emergency number and talk to an operator. From the information in that call the operator decides if an ambulance should be sent or not, that is, if you are sick or injured enough, or can’t easily get yourself to a hospital.

You don’t pay anything extra for an ambulance. You pay 275 SEK, or $27 at the hospital if you haven’t reached the cap for the year which is 1400 SEK, or $140.

In Sweden, the ambulance service is financed by taxes as a part of the health care.

Have you ever had a weird experience immediately following the death of a loved one that made you think there is an afterlife and that the deceased person was communicating with you?