Norway - Healthcare and Medical Treatment

Standards of healthcare and medical treatment are very high in Norway.

Anyone who is living and working in Norway is required to contribute through the income tax system to the Norwegian Social Insurance Scheme, which covers health insurance. They will be issued with a health card and are entitled to register with a GP on the 'Regular GP Scheme', or to choose another doctor.

Public health services are decentralised, and managed by regional health authorities. Most doctors in Norway can speak English. You are allowed to change GPs up to twice in a year, but must register the change with the social security office. There are also some private clinics and hospitals in Norway.

Most medical treatment is free of charge apart from a small non-refundable fee per consultation. The amount varies depending on whether the consultation was with a GP or a specialist, and whether or not the doctor is covered by an agreement such as the Regular GP Scheme, but is normally in the region of 100kr.

Charges are often payable for specialist treatment, although in-patient care and treatment in a public hospital is usually free of charge.

There are additional charges for medicines, although some treatments for chronic conditions are subsidized and the patient only pays around a third of the cost.

Many medicines which can be bought over the counter in other countries are only available on prescription in Norway.

Dental treatment is not free, except for children, the elderly and the disabled, for whom free public dental care is provided. Dental treatment can be very expensive in Norway.