Medical Care Can Be More Expensive in Norway - The Nordic Page

17.01.2012 - Oslo

Medical Care Can Be More Expensive in Norway

General Medical Associationin Norway is threatening to terminate the agreements of 4000 GPs. It may make it more expensive to go to doctor.

Norwegian doctors are complaining about the bureaucracy keeping them from devoting more time

If the agreement is terminated, the doctors will have to cover all expenses for the operations - without municipal subsidies and the prices are to increase significantly, according to NRK.

Tromsø was one of the four municipalities in the country which have already introduced primary care physicians as a pilot schemein 1993.

A new regulation for the country's nearly 4,000 primary care physicians are now out for consultation. The reulation sets the new quality standards for doctors. Among other things, patients should be entitled to a doctor's appointment within a certain deadline.

It is the individual municipality who is responsible for GP scheme, and the doctors get a subsidy per patient.

Now, municipalities could withdraw funding if the doctor does not meet the new requirements.