Norway is the northern most country in Europe. In general, the population of just below five million people enjoy a very high standard of living in a country renowned for its high quality of life and its prosperous economy.
All residents of Norway have 100% access to public healthcare and are insured by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). The NIS is universal and funded from taxation on income. All citizens in Norway – working or living in the country – have to pay into the NIS.
The Norwegian healthcare system is primarily based on state funded provision with a structure geared to three levels of supply – national level, regional level and local level. The Ministry of Health and Care Services holds primary responsible for Norway’s healthcare organization and structure and is responsible for the health and wellbeing of Norwegian citizens. There are five regional health authorities, which have the duty to monitor and implement healthcare standards – set by the Minister of Health and Care – at a regional level. The responsibility for primary healthcare is devolved to 434 municipalities.
The Norwegian parliament has two important functions in respect of healthcare in Norway [1] to amend, fix and repeal existing legislation which influences healthcare and [2] to set fiscal policy and its influence on delivery of healthcare services.
Contributions to the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (NIS – Folketrydgen) – generated through taxation – are the main source of financing the Norwegian public health service, supported by state grants and some user charging. The funds allocated to regions are administered by county councils (kommune); the municipalities have the ability to raise additional funds for primary healthcare by way of local taxes. There is a small amount of finance generated by user charges.
The Norwegian NIS does require patients to make certain payments towards medical costs. Patients are required to pay for general practitioners, medical specialists and prescription medication. Norwegian citizens must also pay for laboratory and radiology tests. However, certain groups are exempt from any healthcare costs, such as pregnant women, new mothers and people suffering from chronic illness. The majority of residents in Norway need to pay for dental treatment, apart from Norwegian citizens who are under the age of eighteen – who are entitled to free dental care.
Healthcare facilities in Norway are comprised of public and privately run medical hospitals and clinics – because of the very high standard of public facilities in Norway, the need for extensive private healthcare is mitigated – mainly confined to dental care and supply of pharmaceuticals. While the standard of healthcare facilities in cities and large towns is excellent, provision in some of the more remote areas is not up to the same quality levels and availability may not always be readily found. Visitors to Norway need to bear in mind that there are large areas of Norway which are very remote and access to any form of healthcare can be limited.
The majority of communities in Norway have public medical clinics (helsesenter) where legal residents of the area make appointments with a local general practitioner (GP) – who will refer a patient to a medical specialist if further medical treatment is required.
Some Norwegian citizens do take out private health insurance for extra medical cover to avoid relatively long waiting periods for some standard operations. Medical procedures – for operations such as hip replacement – can take as long as three months to be completed; private insurance gives Norwegian citizens the option to use private healthcare facilities in order for the procedure to be carried out sooner.
While Norway is not a member of the European Union, it has affiliated arrangements with EU member states for reciprocal healthcare – under the EHIC (European Union Insurance Card) process. This allows citizens from participating countries access to the same medical care as a Norwegian citizen – should they need medical treatment while traveling through the country. However, holders of the EHIC are still urged to take out Norwegian international health insurance to provide full medical coverage as the EHIC does not cover medical costs for on–going medical treatment, air ambulance services or repatriation in the event of a serious injury or medical condition.
Doctors are the first point of contact for patients in Norway. All Citizens in Norway can choose their GP, and there is a fee for patients seeking medical consultation. If the GP believes the patient requires further medical assistance they will refer them to a specialist medical consultant. All medical staff in Norway are highly trained and educated, with specialist medical consults trained in specialist medical fields.
There are 85 hospitals in Norway – predominately in the cities and major towns. Patients will be admitted to a Norwegian hospital either in a medical emergency or by referral by a GP. The standard of healthcare in Norwegian hospitals is excellent and free for patients who are members of the Norwegian NIS and are referred to the hospital by a registered GP. If a Norwegian hospital is not equipped to meet the medical needs of a patient, they will be sent to a medical facility in another country for treatment at no direct cost to themselves.
In recent years, the provision of private healthcare facilities has increased in the larger urban areas of Norway. This is partly due to the waiting times in public healthcare facilities, creating a demand from Norwegian citizens wanting immediate treatment. Norwegian citizens also take out private insurance coverage as extra protection because – if following consultation with a GP or medical specialist – the use of public healthcare services is not approved. In these circumstances, private health insurance will provide a Norwegian citizen with some comfort and an extra form of medical cover.
While the Norwegian public healthcare system is very good – and is seen as one the best in the world – the extended waiting periods for some key procedures is an unsatisfactory feature. Ensuring the distribution of equal and fair healthcare services across a country including vast remote areas is also a challenge. The Norwegian Minister of Health and Care is addressing these issues in the National Health Plan 2007–2010 for the country, with the overall aim of continued and improved provision of high quality healthcare services to Norwegian citizens.
All visitors to Norway are urged to obtain full Norwegian international insurance to cover you and your family while in Norway. It is recommended that you obtain comprehensive medical cover as prolonged medical treatment can be expensive; it is important to ensure your international Norway health insurance includes repatriation as the cost for this service is very expensive. If you are a holder of a European Union Insurance Card, it is still recommended to obtain Norwegian medical cover, as it gives you more comprehensive health coverage.
If you are looking for peace-of-mind knowing that medical costs will be covered in case of an accident or illness, to yourself and your family, while traveling to or residing in Norway, an international medical insurance plan will be the ideal solution. Policies can be tailor–made to ensure all your needs are met while in Norway.
Source: Norway: Healthcare System
