Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir is introducing some changes to healthcare centres in Iceland which will go into effect January 1. Healthcare centres will be taking over cervical cancer screenings and the centre’s visiting fees will be lowered.
Visiting fees to healthcare clinics will be reduced from 700 ISK ($5,47 €4,47) to 500 ISK ($3,90 €3,18) January 1. As before, children, people with disabilities and senior citizens are exempt from the fee. An additional fee for people visiting clinics outside the local one they’re registered with will be dropped. Healthcare clinics will take over testing for cervical cancer and the Pap smear fee will therefore be reduced from the current 4.818ISK($38 €31) to 500 ISK($3,90 €3,18). The lowered rates are a factor in Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir’s plan to lower patients’ cost participation. The projected cost of the changes amounts to 135 million ISK ($1,054,193 €860,695) per year.
Further changes are in store for the healthcare clinics. Special health improvement courses for overweight women will e implemented, as well as courses to improve emotional wellness for pregnant women. Healthcare centres will furthermore issue a free certificate for vocational fitness evaluations, a prerequisite for an application for vocational rehabilitation with VIRK.
The National Hospital and the Akureyri Hospital will take over breast cancer screenings. Breast cancer screening fees will be raised by 2.7% according to Statistics Iceland’s inflation projections but will be incorporated into the Icelandic Health Insurance’s discount system.
Public healthcare fees will rise by 2.7 % overall according to Statistics Iceland’s inflation projections from October 1.
