Last week, news reported that several hospitals in this country have introduced payment for treatment for LAR patients. Until now, the treatment has been free. Still, not everyone charges, even if they can. Helse Bergen is one of the places where they have managed to avoid introducing a deductible. – We have found other solutions than taking payment from LAR patients. That’s what department director for drug addiction medicine at Helse Bergen Christian Ohldieck says. Instead of demanding a deductible from the patients, they have, among other things, reduced the number of positions. Department director for drug addiction medicine, Health Bergen Christian Ohldieck says that they are concerned that drug treatment should continue to be free for LAR patients. Photo: Simen Sundfjord Otterlei / news Neither the University Hospital in Oslo nor the Telemark Hospital have introduced a deductible for LAR patients. – The way we interpret the rule, there is an opportunity to demand payment, but no obligation, says Ohldieck. Helse Bergen has therefore chosen to find income and reduce costs elsewhere in order to increase the budget. Unclear practice Health Stavanger and other hospitals such as Nordlandssykehuset, Helse Møre og Romsdal and Sykehuset Innlandet, on the other hand, have introduced payment. According to department manager for drug and addiction treatment in Helse Stavanger, Randi Mobæk, patients are now dropping out of treatment because they cannot afford to pay. – Now they don’t get the health check, the right medicines or the therapy they should have, and thus they have a greater risk of relapse. Following news’s revelations, Kine Haugen, coordinator of the national LAR network and section manager of drug and addiction outpatient clinics at Oslo University Hospital, has tried to obtain an overview of which hospitals have introduced deductibles. – This presents problems because there are different practices throughout the country, even within certain hospitals. In addition, there are differences in which services they charge for. Coordinator for the national LAR network and section leader of drug and addiction outpatient clinics at Oslo University Hospital Kine Haugen. Photo: Privat Haugen believes that it is for this reason that joint guidance must be given to all hospitals regarding exemption from deductibles in LAR. – We cannot have a regulation that opens up different practices for equal treatment depending on where you live. In an e-mail to news, the Ministry of Health and Care Services writes that they will now consider a rule change. – So that LAR patients can get an exemption from the deductible when they receive outpatient treatment in the specialist healthcare service. We are now looking at the consequences of any such rule change. A possible deductible exemption will increase the state’s expenses and will therefore have to go to the Storting, writes State Secretary Ellen Rønning-Arnesen (Ap). – Others must look to Bergen Marianne Cook Pierron in the user organization Prolar Nett Bergen wholeheartedly supports Bergen Health’s choice to continue with free treatment. Marianne Cook Pierron, Prolar Nett Bergen believes that the deductible which is now being introduced for LAR patients in several places may go beyond the national zero vision against overdose. Photo: Victor Meisfjord / news – Here others must look to Bergen, she says and receives support from several drug organisations. Regional manager of FHN Vestland Morten Sommerbakk says that the choice is easy for an addict when it comes to money. In such cases, the user dose is selected before treatment. – There is a crisis for those patients who now have to pay a deductible, he believes. Espen Aas, who is the regional manager of A-larm, believes that the introduction of deductibles is very unfair for one and the same patient group. Happy atmosphere among the addiction organizations for Health Bergen’s choice not to introduce a deductible for addiction patients in LAR. Photo: Victor Meisfjord / news The government also sees this challenge: – The government’s goal is that people with substance abuse problems should receive the treatment and follow-up they need in the public health service. Then it is not fortunate that there are different practices for collecting deductibles in different places, writes Rønning-Arnesen. Fear of precedent But before any rule changes become a reality, there is now concern in Bergen Health, which has not introduced payment, whether the consequence of the decision in Stavanger will set a precedent for others. – I hope not, says Ohldieck. Nor can he rule out that they will have to make other choices in the future. – These are demanding financial times for the hospitals, and it is difficult to get budgets to increase. In the past, the Minister of Health and Care Ingvild Kjerkol has stated that psychiatry and substance abuse must be shielded from cuts. Former health minister Bent Høie has also been clear about this. – The government must sort things out immediately Several politicians have reacted to the introduction of self-payment, which is still happening now. Both FRP and Venstre will take up the issue. Venstre’s Ola Elvestuen says the government must sort things out immediately. The party leader in Frp Sylvi Listhaug says that it is not right that it is up to each individual health institution. Photo: William Jobling / news – It doesn’t do for them to look at it. The most important thing is that the deductible is removed so that we are sure that it is not a barrier for patients. He continues: – It is not about whether the Minister of Health will do it, but when she will do it. This can be done very quickly, and by the minister alone. The party leader in Frp Sylvi Listhaug says that it is not right that it is up to each individual health institution. She believes there must be common guidelines that patients who are in drug treatment must receive it without paying.
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Norwegian hospitals have different practices for payment for drug treatment – in Bergen it is free – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
