2024-01-312023/24:SoU12 · p.14SoUHealth & social services
Equitable dental care etc.
Equal access to dental care
What's at stake: How dental-care support and requirements on providers are designed affects how equal the opportunities are for different groups in society, geographically and economically, to receive regular dental care, and how safe and consistent care is regardless of whether it is provided by private or public providers.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the current and announced reforms of dental care's high-cost protection, licensing requirements and supervision are sufficient for more equal dental care, or whether the Riksdag should instead enshrine a needs-based solidarity principle in law, a national goal of an annual dental visit for everyone, and equal requirements for private and public dental care.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee points to the government's already announced adjustments to the state dental-care support and the age limit for free dental care, to ongoing inquiries into licensing requirements for private dental care and a protected professional title for dental nurses, and to proposals on collaboration between private providers and regions, and considers that the Riksdag should not take any further initiative; the motions for a statutory needs-based solidarity principle, a national visit target and equal requirements for private and public dental care are therefore rejected.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 20 (V)
The reservation wants dental care to be governed by a needs-based solidarity principle where the greatest need comes first, a national goal introduced so that everyone in Sweden can visit a dentist at least once a year, and the same requirements applied to private as to public dental care within emergency dental care, children's dental care and care for the elderly and multi-ill, since a large share of state dental-care support currently goes to private providers without being subject to the same requirements as public care.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 20 by V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: LLiberalerna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 174–20Ja 98–96
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/20/0/4 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/94/13 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/15/3 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects motions 2023/24:133 by Eric Palmqvist (SD), 2023/24:1163 by Staffan Eklöf (SD), 2023/24:1713 by Margareta Cederfelt (M), 2023/24:2229 by Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M), 2023/24:2341 by Karin Rågsjö et al. (V) demands 1, 2 and 5 and 2023/24:2380 by Peter Hedberg et al. (S).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:133 av Eric Palmqvist (SD), 2023/24:1163 av Staffan Eklöf (SD), 2023/24:1713 av Margareta Cederfelt (M), 2023/24:2229 av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M), 2023/24:2341 av Karin Rågsjö m.fl. (V) yrkandena 1, 2 och 5 samt 2023/24:2380 av Peter Hedberg m.fl. (S).
Riksdag decision: Parliament rejected approximately 70 motions about medicines and dental care from the general motion period of 2023. The motions address, for example, accessibility to medicines, medical technology products, review of the pharmacy market and financing of dental care. Parliament believes, among other things, that work is already underway in the areas that the motions address.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to improve cross-regional cooperation in dentistry and create a national plan for dental care competence needs. (V) — Reservation 20
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan wants to introduce dental insurance with high-cost protection precisely because a large group today forgo dental care for economic reasons, and establishes that needs shall drive care.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to introduce dental insurance with high-cost protection precisely because a large group today forgo dental care for economic reasons, and establishes that needs shall drive care. The counter-proposal's demand for a needs-solidarity principle, an annual dental visit for all and the same requirements for private as public dental care follow directly from this. The plan also wants to stop tax money going to private profits in welfare.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill införa en tandvårdsförsäkring med högkostnadsskydd just därför att en stor grupp i dag avstår från tandvård av ekonomiska skäl, och slår fast att behoven ska styra vården. Motförslagets krav på en behovs-solidaritetsprincip, ett årligt tandläkarbesök för alla och samma krav på privat som offentlig tandvård följer direkt av detta. Planen vill dessutom stoppa att skattemedel går till privata vinster i välfärden.
- dental care according to needdecisive»Vänsterpartiet vill därför införa en tandvårdsförsäkring liknande den som finns inom övrig hälso- och sjukvård med ett högkostnadsskydd som gör att vuxna människor med behov inte ska behöva tacka nej till god tandvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party therefore wants to introduce dental insurance similar to that existing within other healthcare with high-cost protection so that adult people with needs do not have to decline good dental care.”
- needs-driven care»Behoven ska styra, du ska inte behöva lösa en privat försäkring för att få en bra sjukvård och tandvård eller en trygg förlossning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Needs shall drive, you should not have to solve a private insurance to get good healthcare and dental care or a safe childbirth.”
- socioeconomic dental care gaps»Detta innebär att en ganska stor grupp avstår från tandvård av ekonomiska skäl.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“This means that quite a large group forgoes dental care for economic reasons.”
- same requirements for private welfare»Vänsterpartiet vill införa ett totalförbud mot alla vinstdrivande verksamhetsformer inom välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to introduce a total ban on all profit-driven operations within welfare.”
The plan's basic principle is that welfare services are distributed according to need and that everyone in the whole country should have equivalent access to care.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's basic principle is that welfare services are distributed according to need and that everyone in the whole country should have equivalent access to care. The counter-proposal's needs-solidarity principle, the objective of annual dental visits and the requirement that private providers meet the same requirements as public ones follow directly from this and from the plan's line to take back control of care. That the freedom of information principle should apply to private care providers too shows the same requirement for equivalent terms.
Original (Swedish)
Planens grundprincip är att välfärdstjänster fördelas efter behov och att alla i hela landet ska ha likvärdig tillgång till vård. Motförslagets behovs-solidaritetsprincip, målet om årliga tandvårdsbesök och kravet på att privata utförare ska möta samma krav som offentliga följer direkt av detta och av planens linje att ta tillbaka kontrollen över vården. Att offentlighetsprincipen ska gälla även privata vårdgivare visar samma krav på likvärdiga villkor.
- distribution according to needdecisive»välfärdstjänsterna fördelas efter behov.« (party programme ↗)“welfare services are distributed according to need.”
- equivalent access to care»Alla invånare i hela landet ska ha likvärdig tillgång till skola, vård och omsorg.« (party programme ↗)“All residents in the whole country shall have equivalent access to school, care and nursing.”
- same requirements for private care»Offentlighetsprincipen ska gälla även privat vård och omsorg.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The freedom of information principle shall apply to private care and nursing too.”
- care in time for everyone»Ingen ska behöva känna oro över att få vård i tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one should have to feel anxiety over receiving care in time.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto requires that dental care be equated with other healthcare and be included in the same high-cost protection, and the party programme that care be distributed according to need and that the most seriously ill receive care quickly.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires that dental care be equated with other healthcare and be included in the same high-cost protection, and the party programme that care be distributed according to need and that the most seriously ill receive care quickly. The plan also establishes that all publicly funded welfare shall maintain high quality regardless of provider. A needs-solidarity principle, a goal of annual dental visits and equal requirements for private and public dental care is precisely what the plan wants.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver att tandvården jämställs med övrig hälso- och sjukvård och ingår i samma högkostnadsskydd, och partiprogrammet att vården fördelas efter behov och att de svårast sjuka får vård snabbt. Planen slår också fast att all offentligfinansierad välfärd ska hålla hög kvalitet oavsett utförare. En behovs-solidaritetsprincip, ett mål om årliga tandläkarbesök och samma krav på privat som offentlig tandvård är just det planen vill.
- dental care as other caredecisive»att tandvården ska jämställas med övrig hälso- och sjukvård, och ingå i samma högkostnadsskydd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“that dental care shall be equated with other healthcare and be included in the same high-cost protection.”
- care according to need»kvalitet, vara tillgänglig, fördelas efter behov och« (party programme ↗)“quality, be accessible, be distributed according to need and”
- equal requirements regardless of provider»All offentligfinansierad välfärd oavsett utförare ska« (party programme ↗)“All publicly funded welfare regardless of provider shall”
- greatest need first»De svårast sjuka ska få vård snabbt.« (party programme ↗)“The most seriously ill shall receive care quickly.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The party programme establishes that what is publicly financed should be equal and of the same good quality for all, which supports the counter-proposal's demand for the same requirements on private as on public dental care within the tax-financed part.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that what is publicly financed should be equal and of the same good quality for all, which supports the counter-proposal's demand for the same requirements on private as on public dental care within the tax-financed part. The programme also requires that welfare is equal and accessible to all and that the public health perspective permeates society, which supports a national goal of regular dental visits. The plan does not address the announced adjustments to dental care support.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att det som det offentliga finansierar ska vara likvärdigt och av samma goda kvalitet för alla, vilket bär motförslagets krav på samma krav på privat som offentlig tandvård inom den skattefinansierade delen. Programmet kräver också att välfärden är jämlik och tillgänglig för alla och att folkhälsoperspektivet genomsyrar samhället, vilket stöder en nationell målsättning om regelbundna tandläkarbesök. Planen behandlar inte de aviserade justeringarna av tandvårdsstödet.
- equal publicly financed welfaredecisive»Det som det offentliga finansierar ska vara likvärdigt för alla och med samma goda kvalitet till alla.« (party programme ↗)“What is publicly financed should be equal for all and with the same good quality for all.”
- equal welfare for all»Den offentligt finansierade välfärden ska vara av hög kvalitet, jämlik och jämställd samt vara tillgänglig för alla« (party programme ↗)“Publicly financed welfare should be of high quality, equal and equal and be accessible to all”
- preventive public health work»Folkhälsoperspektivet måste genomsyra hela samhället för att ge resultat.« (party programme ↗)“The public health perspective must permeate the entire society to produce results.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto wants to gradually make dental care financing more like other healthcare and prioritize groups with the worst oral health, and the party programme establishes that no one shall be forced to forgo dental care for economic reasons.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto wants to gradually make dental care financing more like other healthcare and prioritize groups with the worst oral health, and the party programme establishes that no one shall be forced to forgo dental care for economic reasons. The counter-proposal's needs and solidarity principle and goal of regular visits follow from this. The plan also requires that private and public providers operate on equal terms with the same quality requirements, which supports the counter-proposal's demand for equal requirements.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet vill stegvis göra tandvårdens finansiering mer lik övrig sjukvård och prioritera de grupper som har sämst munhälsa, och partiprogrammet slår fast att ingen ska tvingas avstå från tandvård av ekonomiska skäl. Motförslagets behovs- och solidaritetsprincip och mål om regelbundna besök följer av detta. Planen kräver dessutom att privata och offentliga utförare verkar på lika villkor med samma kvalitetskrav, vilket bär motförslagets krav på likställda krav.
- prioritize worst oral healthdecisive»Nästa steg är gradvis ökande subventionsgrad för de grupper som har sämst munhälsa och nationella tandvårdsprogram för särskilda riskgrupper.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The next step is gradually increasing subsidy levels for groups with the worst oral health and national dental care programmes for particular risk groups.”
- equal terms private and public»Privata och offentliga utförare ska verka på lika villkor och ska omfattas av samma« (party programme ↗)“Private and public providers shall operate on equal terms and shall be covered by the same”
- dental care regardless of income»Ingen ska tvingas avstå från tandvård på grund av låg inkomst.« (party programme ↗)“No one shall be forced to forgo dental care due to low income.”
- state supervision according to national standards»Tillsynen ska ske i statlig regi utifrån nationellt fastställda kvalitetsnormer.« (party programme ↗)“Supervision shall be conducted under state auspices based on nationally established quality standards.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan states that solidarity-financed care shall be needs-driven and that dental care is part of health and medical care where everyone shall have access to good dental care.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that solidarity-financed care shall be needs-driven and that dental care is part of health and medical care where everyone shall have access to good dental care. The counter-proposal's requirement for a needs-solidarity principle, a national target for annual visits and equivalent requirements on private and public providers follows from this, since the plan requires equal conditions for different operational forms.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att den solidariskt finansierade vården ska vara behovsstyrd och att tandvården är en del av hälso- och sjukvården där alla ska ha tillgång till god tandvård. Motförslagets krav på en behovs-solidaritetsprincip, en nationell målsättning om årliga besök och likvärdiga krav på privata och offentliga utförare följer av detta, eftersom planen kräver lika förutsättningar för olika driftsformer.
- needs-driven caredecisive»Den solidariskt finansierade hälso- och sjukvården är välfärdens kärna och ska vara behovsstyrd.« (party programme ↗)“Solidarity-financed health and medical care is the core of welfare and shall be needs-driven.”
- dental care is healthcare»Tandvården är en del av hälso- och sjukvården.« (party programme ↗)“Dental care is part of health and medical care.”
- strengthened dental care for elderly»Stärkt tandvård för äldre bland annat genom att sänka högkostnadsskyddet för tandvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthened dental care for older people among other things by lowering the high-cost protection for dental care.”
- equal conditions for all providers»förutsättningar som tjänster producerade i offentlig regi.« (party programme ↗)“conditions as services produced in public operation.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan makes choice and a diversity of actors central parts of the welfare model and warns against the notion that welfare tasks should constantly be expanded.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes choice and a diversity of actors central parts of the welfare model and warns against the notion that welfare tasks should constantly be expanded. The counter-proposal's demand for a guiding needs-solidarity principle, a national visitation target and the same public demands on private healthcare providers points in the opposite direction. The plan's commitment to equivalent care in good time pulls partly toward the counter-proposal, but is subordinate to the choice line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen gör valfrihet och en mångfald av aktörer till bärande delar av välfärdsmodellen och varnar för föreställningen att välfärdsåtagandet ständigt ska byggas ut. Motförslagets krav på en styrande behovs-solidaritetsprincip, ett nationellt besöksmål och samma offentliga krav på privata vårdgivare pekar i motsatt riktning. Planens åtagande om likvärdig vård i rätt tid drar delvis åt motförslagets håll, men är underordnat valfrihetslinjen.
- choice in welfaredecisive»För Moderaterna är valfrihet en central del av den svenska« (party programme ↗)“For the Moderate Party, choice is a central part of Swedish”
- diversity of actors»En mångfald av aktörer är också en förutsättning för förnyelse och innovation.« (party programme ↗)“A diversity of actors is also a prerequisite for renewal and innovation.”
- no to constant expansion»Ett långsiktigt hot mot den svenska välfärden är föreställningen« (party programme ↗)“A long-term threat to Swedish welfare is the notion”
- equivalent care in time»Alla har rätt till likvärdig vård – som kan ges i rätt tid och håller hög kvalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone has the right to equivalent care - which can be provided in good time and meets high quality.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan states that all citizens shall be offered dental care on the same terms as other care and that the state shall take the same responsibility for oral and dental health as for other health.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that all citizens shall be offered dental care on the same terms as other care and that the state shall take the same responsibility for oral and dental health as for other health. Care shall be provided according to need and national quality requirements must not be undercut, which bears the counter-proposal's demand for the needs principle and for equal requirements for private and public dental care. The plan's line thus supports the counter-proposal's substantive demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att alla medborgare ska erbjudas tandvård på samma villkor som annan vård och att det offentliga ska ta samma ansvar för mun- och tandhälsan som för annan hälsa. Vården ska ges efter behov och nationella kvalitetskrav får inte underskridas, vilket bär motförslagets krav på behovsprincip och på likvärdiga krav på privat och offentlig tandvård. Planens linje stöder därmed motförslagets sakkrav.
- dental care as other caredecisive»Att alla medborgare ska erbjudas tandvård på samma villkor som annan vård« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That all citizens shall be offered dental care on the same terms as other care”
- state responsibility for dental health»Ambitionen ska vara att det offentliga ska ta samma ansvar för medborgarnas mun- och tandhälsa, som för annan hälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The ambition shall be that the state shall take the same responsibility for citizens' oral and dental health as for other health.”
- solidaristically financed care»Vi anser att hälso- och sjukvården ska vara solidariskt finansierad via skattsedeln« (party programme ↗)“We believe that healthcare and medical services shall be solidaristically financed through taxation”
- national quality requirements»Nationella kvalitetskrav inom vård och omsorg måste finnas och får inte underskridas.« (party programme ↗)“National quality requirements in care and healthcare must exist and must not be undercut.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:SoU12)
- Committee report full text (HB01SoU12)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1035 — Tillgänglig och jämlik tandvård av Anna Wallentheim (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1062 — Nationell samordning av precisionsmedicin för en jämlik vård av Aylin Nouri (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1079 — En jämlik tandvård av Carina Ödebrink m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1124 — Melatonin som kosttillskott av Helena Storckenfeldt och Lars Püss (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:1163 — Folktandvårdsklinikers redovisning av kostnader för papperslösas och asylsökandes tandvård av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1173 — Ett utvecklat folkhälsoarbete av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1228 — Fler beredningsformer för cytostatika av Martina Johansson (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1302 — Jämlik tandvård av Hanna Westerén (S)
- Motion 2023/24:133 — En ersättningsmodell som stimulerar privattandläkare att etablera sig där behoven är som störst av Eric Palmqvist (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1353 — Tandvård för alla av Niklas Karlsson (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1358 — En kommunpolitik för hela landet av Lars Isacsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1361 — Likvärdiga förutsättningar för folktandvården och privata vårdgivare av Peter Hedberg och Anna-Belle Strömberg (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1417 — Minskat slöseri med medicin av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1558 — Appläkartjänster, apotek och vårdcentraler av Johan Löfstrand m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1638 — Receptfria och mer tillgängliga naloxonläkemedel av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1713 — Tandvård som ett led i sjukvårdsbehandling för personer med epilepsi av Margareta Cederfelt (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1855 — Tandvård som en del av övrig sjukvård av Olle Thorell m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1907 — Kostnadsfria mensskydd för flickor och kvinnor av Linnéa Wickman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1922 — Kostnadsfria mensskydd i Sverige av Magnus Manhammar (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1948 — Goda och lika möjligheter till tekniska hjälpmedel vid diabetesvård av Magnus Manhammar (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament