Visiting the doctor and the social healthcare system

So I'm back, after almost a month of quiet, for which I appologize. I've been busy with inschooling the kids at their new preschool, which takes a bit of time and patience. For all parties. You don't just drop them off, after visiting one time. You have two weeks of slow move from just visiting with mom or dad, to slowly being dropped off for longer and longer periods of time, to get used to the new place and it's routines. It's a more drawn out process, but in the end, it's a lot better for the child, even if it doesn't always seem that way when you are in the middle of it.
But now it's done, and they have adapted very well, and really enjoy going there to play with their new friends, and they love their new teachers. Such a relief!
I also got to explore the swedish health care system, that is often talked about in the US these days! After falling on very slippery ice at the play ground one day, and had my foot swell and become very sore, I decided to go to the emergency room. But instead of going to the big hospital, and sit in the waiting room while they deal with lots of other patients, I got the suggestion to go to the private ER in town. It was an interesting experience, since I had been working in a hospital, and was very familiar with how that might transpire. But it was not like that at all. Being private, or semi private, I think they get funding from the government, but still operate as a public place. So, you walk in and get a number, to wait for a check in. This is geared towards people with urgent illnesses, but not hard attacks, etc. So you wait for your turn to check in, and there they ask for your id that shows your personal number, and with that you check in. You have no healt care card, no preapproved costs or such, just a copay of 200krones, or about $20. As I was checking in, I overheard the person next to me, who was born in Sweden, but was currently living in Italy, and visiting, and didn't have her European ID card for her child that needed care, and would therefore have to pay the full amount for the visit. 1,095kr. About $110, give or take. That's it! I know copays that are that amount in the US, and that doesn't even include the weekly or byweekly cost of the insurance itself! So next I get to sit and wait for my turn. I should also tell you that the ER has a website that you can electronically check how long the waiting time is, and how many people are before you, before you even arrive! I was called, checked into the room, and the doctor showed up pretty soon after. He seemed normal, as any doctor I had seen before, and asked a bunch of questions to determine the seriousness of the injury. He determined that I probably had a sprain, and told me how to treat it. That was it! I was done! All in all it took me 45 minutes from check in time, to the time I was out on the street again. Granted I didn't have to have an xray or anything, but still. The place was very nice, new and shiny, and all the people were very nice and polite. It seemed almost more like a spa than a hospital! That was my first visit with the health care system here. Not too bad...