Healthcare in Iceland
Healthcare in Iceland is universal. The healthcare system is largely paid for by taxes (85%) and to some extent by service fees (15%) and is administrated by the Ministry of Welfare. A considerable portion of government spending is assigned to healthcare. There is almost no private health insurance in Iceland and no private hospitals.[1]
Healthcare providers in Iceland fall into one of the following legally defined categories of healthcare providers:
- healthcare clinics (Icelandic: heilsugæslur)
- health institutions (Icelandic: heilbrigðisstofnanir)
- university hospitals (Icelandic: háskólasjúkrahús)
- teaching hospitals (Icelandic: kennslusjúkrahús)
Medical training
Iceland does not have its own specialist medical training system, so Icelandic doctors typically spend 8 or 10 years working abroad before returning to the country. They often use the relationship established in training for ongoing support.[2]
Life expectancy
Iceland had the highest life expectancy of any European country, 83.0 years in 2012 according to the OECD.[3]
Healthcare districts
The country is divided into 7 healthcare districts which correspond to the 8 regions of Iceland with the exception of the Northwestern Region and the Northeastern Region which are a single healthcare district.
- Capital Region Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi höfuðborgarsvæðisins)
- Western Region Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi Vesturlands)
- Westfjords Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi Vestfjarða)
- Northern Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi Norðurlands)
- Eastern Region Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi Austurlands)
- Southern Region Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi Suðurlands)
- Southern Peninsula Healthcare District (Icelandic: Heilbrigðisumdæmi Suðurnesja)
List of hospitals
There are two hospitals in Iceland, both of which are general and specialised.
Name (English) | Name (Icelandic) | Founded | Type | Healthcare district | Municipality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National University Hospital of Iceland | Landspítali - háskólasjúkrahús | 3 March 2000 | General and specialised university hospital |
Capital Region | Reykjavíkurborg |
Akureyri Hospital | Sjúkrahúsið á Akureyri | General and specialised teaching hospital |
Northern | Akureyrarkaupstaður |
List of health institutions
Name (English) | Name (Icelandic) | Founded | Healthcare district | Municipality |
---|---|---|---|---|
Healthcare Institution of Blönduós | Heilbrigðisstofnunin Blönduósi | Northern | Blönduósbær | |
Healthcare Institution of Eastern Iceland | Heilbrigðisstofnun Austurlands | Eastern Region | Fljótsdalshérað | |
Healthcare Institution of Fjallabyggð | Heilbrigðisstofnunin Fjallabyggð | Northern | Fjallabyggð | |
Healthcare Institution of Patreksfjörður | Heilbrigðisstofnunin Patreksfirði | Westfjords | Vesturbyggð | |
Healthcare Institution of Sauðárkrókur | Heilbrigðisstofnunin Sauðárkróki | Northern | Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður | |
Healthcare Institution of South Iceland | Heilbrigðisstofnun Suðurlands | 1 September 2004 | Southern Region | Sveitarfélagið Árborg |
Healthcare Institution of Southeast Iceland | Heilbrigðisstofnun Suðausturlands | Southern Region | Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður | |
Healthcare Institution of Southern Peninsula | Heilbrigðisstofnun Suðurnesja | Southern Peninsula | Reykjanesbær | |
Healthcare Institution of the Westfjords | Heilbrigðisstofnun Vestfjarða | Westfjords | Ísafjarðarbær | |
Healthcare Institution of Vestmannaeyjar | Heilbrigðisstofnunin Vestmannaeyjum | Southern Region | Vestmannaeyjabær | |
Healthcare Institution of Western Iceland | Heilbrigðisstofnun Vesturlands | 1 January 2010 | Western Region | Akraneskaupstaður |
Healthcare Institution of Þingeyjarsýslur | Heilbrigðisstofnun Þingeyinga | Northern Healthcare District | Norðurþing |
References
- ↑ http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/141/2/199#SEC8
- ↑ "Outcomes in EHCI 2015" (PDF). Health Consumer Powerhouse. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Health at a Glance: Europe". OECD. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
External links
- Ministry of Welfare (English)
- Ministry of Welfare (Icelandic)
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