Healthcare in Norway
In addition to these public hospitals, there are a small number of privately owned health clinics currently operating.
Children aged sixteen or younger, and several other groups (such as nursing women and retirees) are given free healthcare regardless of the coverage they may have had in previous situations.
If they reach a certain amount of money paid out-of-pocket, they receive an exemption card (frikort for helsetjenester in Norwegian) for public health services, and they no longer have to pay user fees for the remainder of the calendar year.
The exemption card covers family doctors, psychologists, outpatient clinics, radiology services, laboratory tests, patient travel, medicines and equipment falling under the "blue prescription" system, physiotherapy, dental diseases and abnormalities, periodontitis, rehabilitation, and travel for treatment abroad arranged by the National Hospital (Rikshospitalet).
[15] Funds for hospital care are allocated to the regional health authorities after the budget is passed for the coming year.
After the Second World War the government of Norway decided to include national health care as one of their main focuses in the development of the welfare state.
The various reforms share the common thread that they all came as a reaction to inefficient systems that did not take full advantage of all available resources.
[20] Also, efficiency improvements in treatments have impacted patient experience as they have less time with the doctor and sometimes must check out of the hospital on the same day as they were admitted.
Insurance coverage for medicine imported from outside the country is managed through the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO).
[27][28][29] In the OECD publication Health at a Glance 2011, Norway had among the longest wait times for elective surgery and specialist appointments among eleven countries surveyed.
[30] However, the Norwegian government has been successful in reducing the average wait times for hospital care in recent years.
The consultations are free of charge, and pregnant employees have the right to paid time off work for antenatal appointments.
Higher standards of living and improved hygienic conditions are a major cause, as well as the prevalence of vaccines.
[41] Patients are exempt from cost-sharing for visits, tests, and treatments for all infectious diseases deemed to pose a threat to public health.
Differences in the global disease burden of tuberculosis are also reflected in the disparities of infection rates within Norway, where major inequalities based on people's country of origin can be observed.
An important part of the tuberculosis work in Norway is ensuring that people with an increased risk of post-infection disease development are offered preventative treatment.
In addition to those who are thought to be newly infected, high risk groups include children and persons with impaired immune system.
[44] In Norway, HIV infection and AIDS have also been present and since 1983 the Institute of Public Health in Oslo has been observing and performing statistical analysis, showing overall low incidence.
[46] Norway regards the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a transformative global roadmap for both national and international efforts aimed at eradicating extreme poverty, while protecting planetary boundaries and promoting prosperity, peace and justice.
[47] Norway was also a part of the 2016 voluntary national review of the high level political forum on Sustainable development.
[48] UN reports and various international indexes show that Norway ranks high in terms of global implementation of the SDGs.
Targets that are likely to remain the focus of political attention and policy development are those relating to sustainable consumption and production, health and education, equality, employment, and migration.
The Government is giving priority to ensuring quality education and employment, especially for young people and those at risk of marginalisation.
