The Social Democrats want to tighten price regulation in veterinary care. They are ultimately open to a profit cap.
This is a market that really needs to be regulated, says spokesperson Anna-Caren Sätherberg.
Veterinary costs have skyrocketed in recent years, and in some cases, it is cheaper to take your dog to Spain for surgery than to do it in Sweden, according to Sätherberg.
The Social Democrats therefore want to regulate veterinary costs in several ways.
For a person who loves their pet, this market is not a good owner, says Sätherberg, who is a member of the Environment and Agriculture Committee.
She was Minister for Rural Affairs in 2021-2022 but did not come up with any proposals to regulate prices. So be it, she admits.
But one should also know that the discussion has increased in recent years about how much costs have increased. So I'll say, it's never too late.
Now, the Social Democrats propose that a tariff system be investigated, where prices and fees can be regulated nationally. A similar system exists in Germany.
Points to two companies
The Social Democrats also want to impose higher demands on veterinary companies through requirements for price transparency. Anyone visiting a veterinarian's website should easily be able to access prices for different treatments or ailments. Sätherberg points to two companies that dominate the Swedish market – Evidensia and Anicura – where prices have risen sharply in recent years.
There should be price estimates that you always see so that you can make an active choice, she says.
Ultimately, the Social Democrats want to investigate a profit cap in veterinary care and "return power to veterinarians" through a law that states that veterinarians must be majority owners of clinics. The party has drawn inspiration from France.
This is a market that really needs to be regulated. It's about us not being able to have these unreasonable profits.
"Favors billionaires"
Anna-Caren Sätherberg calls veterinary care a "market failure" and points to clinics owned by venture capital companies.
This is billionaires who are making even more billions on veterinary care. I don't think the Swedish people and those who have a beloved pet will put up with it anymore.
The party also wants to see higher demands for comparisons between insurance companies and for private veterinarians to have emergency preparedness for acute interventions, like district veterinarians.
