A friend from the United States
asked me if it really doesn't cost anything to be sick in Norway, as many
American TV networks maintain. Many Democrats point to Norway as the example of
a perfect public health system. «Well, in theory that is correct», I replied.
«In theory?» he asked, so I had to clarify.
One always gets help in Norway, even
though one might not be able to afford treatment, and it is, generally
speaking, a good system. A lot of things are excluded, however. If one has to
get dental work done at a cost of fifty thousand Norwegian kroner (USD
10 000), it's your problem – there is no financial support for that from
the government. Visits to the doctor are not free, either – the patient has to
pay a fee for every visit, but for most people this never amounts to any more
than a maximum of ten thousand kroner (USD 2 000) per year, regardless of
the medical problem and regardless of whether one is chronically ill. If one
can't afford even the patient fees, you will still be treated, and the system
works well for many people. BUT, you get the quality that you pay for. There is
always a queue to get needed help from Norwegian public hospitals; if you are
diagnosed with cancer, you may have to wait in the queue for months to be
operated on, and a breast reconstruction after surgery requires several years
of waiting. Certain operations that could be performed immediately in a private
hospital require many months of medical sick leave while the patient waits for
treatment by a public hospital, and there have been cases of people becoming
blind and even dying while they are waiting to be treated. There are also a lot
of errors, mixups, deficiencies and cases of wrongful medication (undesirable
occurrences, in governmental parlance). Personally, I have experienced being
treated in both Norwegian and American hospitals, and there is a tremendous
difference between the two in terms of treatment, quality assurance and the
will to choose the best methods of treatment. The result is that people in
Norway who can afford it often buy private health insurance, and companies that
value the health of their employees pay for quick treatment.
«So you're saying that in Norway you
have a health system that is differentiated by class, just like we have in the
USA», he concluded. «Yes. After sixty years of social democracy in Norway, we
have a dual health system, where those who can afford to purchase good private
services do so, while those who are less well-off have to wait in the health
queue», was my conclusion.
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I am not arguing; I am
just explaining why I am right.
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2 comments:
Thanks for your perspective on Norway. I did hear similar statements from people when I was there, especially about dental care, which based o the cost of goods in Norway, I'd imagine would be crazy high.
The Norwegian Oil Fund has sooooo much $$ in it. I don;t know why dental care isn't better, but I do know they were trying torecruit my friend Mary, a doctor in Denmark.
Very easy to explain, Richard; the Norwegian government prefer to invest the oil income abroad, instead of using it on the Norwegian population.
For instance; the oil fund invests in motorways in Germany and not in Norway. Why they do that is harder to understand, but the main reason is “They don’t want to spoil the inhabitants of Norway”. Whether that is a wise decision is another question;-)
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