Norwegian healthcare system

Question 1

How is the healthcare system structured?

Answer 1

NIS, automatic enrollment for residents. Care delivery is split between parliament and municipalities

Question 2

What does the parliament cover?

Answer 2

• Primary and ambulatory care
• Hospital care
• Mental health
• Rehab
• Outpatient prescription drugs
• Preventative services
• Maternity care
• Home based care and chronic care
• Medical equipment (need basis)
• Dental care up to age 18. Braces.

Question 3

What does the municipality cover?

Answer 3

LTC, which is NOT covered by the NIS.

Responsible for coordinating, primary, preventative, and nursing care.

Question 4

What are the two main sources of funding for the NIS?

Answer 4

General taxes (municipal and national) - public
Household OOPs - private
85% publicly funded, 14% OOP

Question 5

How are other parts of the system funded?

Answer 5

• Hospitals: DRGs
• Local municipalities are funded by taxes and gov’t grants
• Outpatient care = copays **Parliament sets caps for OOPs
• GPs are paid partially by municipalities, FFS from the gov’t, and OOPs

Question 6

What does the NIS also fund?

Answer 6

Sick leave payments, public retirement funds, and additional health costs for certain people

Question 7

T/F: Residents can pick their GP or specialist

Answer 7

True, specialists may vary by location.

Most GPs are private or self-employed

Question 8

What is the per capita cost and %GDP?

Answer 8

$6187 USD, 11.3% GDP

Question 9

What are the challenges of the system?

Answer 9

The main causes of death are cardiovascular disease and cancer.
In comparison to other countries, Norway has a relatively high number of drug related deaths; averaging 260
annually.
People in Norway are not physically active enough and consume a lot of sugar- obesity in adults is on the rise.
10% of adults in Norway smoke daily. Lung cancer continues to increase, especially among females.
Between 80,000 and 100,000 people suffer from dementia in Norway.

Question 10

What does the NIS NOT cover?

Answer 10

Extra material and medical equipment are paid out-of-pocket by the patient.
Treatment such as specialized physiotherapy requires an additional deductible.
Cosmetic surgery is not covered.
Glasses and contact lenses are not covered
Patients can only switch between physicians twice per year
There are significant wait times for some procedures.
Care can be denied if it is not considered cost-effective.