Expat Healthcare & Health Insurance Kongsvinger, Norway in Kongsvinger, Norway

Expat Healthcare Advice for Kongsvinger

Medical care is free to everyone including even visitors. I was covered from day one. The hospital ER here, has what is called a legevagkt, meaning a doctor who can see you after hours when your regular doctors office is closed. Only requirement is that you must call ahead to be seen if not a life threatening emergency.

Emergency Medical Care in Kongsvinger

Kongsvinger Sykehus is my local hospital. There are several other hospitals within driving distance in surrounding townscities. Kongsvinger is far from the best for medical care, but has improved over the last year or so. The one thing they are best at in the entire country, is their 7th floor, which is for bone surgeries. Need a knee or hip replacement, or other bone related surgery, Kongsvinger has the best bone surgeon team in the country. Many hospitals here are known for specialties such as, Bergen which has the best burn unit in the country. Many people are medically flown in a chopper for free from one hospital to another, such as Oslo for heart problems.

Expat Health Insurance

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Quality of Healthcare in Surrounding Area

OK here is where one is able to pick and choose if not satisfied with local specialists. I myself see an ENT doctor in Lillestrøm, which is about an hour from me, the same goes for a GYN which I see in Elverum, again about a 30 to 40 minute drive depending on traffic. I went through the local ENT first for months with no satisfaction for 1 12 years. Went to Lillestrøm and was satisfied immediately from day one. The one thing I find to be on the down side of things, is that things tend to run too slow, as you can wait up to a year to be seen by certain specialists, especially if you aren't willing to go elsewere.

Prescription Medicines

Many things are over the counter here which are prescribed in the US and vice-a-versa. Like in the US you can only get 200mg Ibuprofen, and here you can get 200mg and 400mg tablets mover the counter. There is a blue list which is very low cost here, but even when it's not blue listed, you still get prescriptions at a discounted price.

Expat Health Insurance in Norway

With socialized healthcare, you have an out of pocket threshold, and when that is met we are entitled to what is called a frikort (freecard), for the remainder of the year. You then have no co pay other than special cases where it is not deemed medically necessary. Example: I have what is called skintags that can be annoying and unpleasant, so I have them lasered off about once a year. Even when having a frikort, it will still cost me some. Normally a specialist costs about 365N OK for co-pay, but if time runs over or if they need to use extra equipment, then you will have to pay a portion of that. With a frikort, that 365 is waived, but anything over that you will have to pay part of.