Norway’s health system operates on a semi-decentralized model. The Ministry of Health and Care Services holds overall responsibility for health policy, planning, and supervision, while four Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) deliver specialist care through hospital trusts. Municipalities are accountable for primary care, rehabilitation, and emergency services. The Healthcare Communities (helsefellesskap) framework integrates efforts between RHAs, municipalities, and general practitioners (GPs), ensuring coordinated care and better patient pathways.
Published by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, this document provides an overview of the national health system in Norway.
The document overview by its authors is provided below:
The national health system in Norway provides universal coverage for the entire population, with a broad range of services included in the benefit basket. Delivery of care is semi-decentralized, with the regions responsible for the specialised care and municipalities for primary care.
Norway’s health expenditure is one of the highest in the European region, reaching US$ (PPP) 8 275 in 2021, which is equivalent to 10% of GDP. More than 85% of health spending is financed from public sources, whereas 14% of it comes from the households’ out-of-pocket payments. Most publicly funded health services require cost-sharing, with annual cost-sharing ceilings applied to protect the population from excessive healthcare spending. Most private spending is on dental care (25%), pharmaceuticals (24%), outpatient medical care (19%), and long-term care (16%).
During the 2020-2023 period, significant changes were implemented to enhance the person-centeredness of the health system. A key example was the establishment of Healthcare Communities, which aims to facilitate joint planning and coordination of care between municipalities and regions. To support these efforts, numerous activities have been carried out to strengthen primary care and public health, including as part of efforts to reduce social inequalities in health and mental health prevention. Other ongoing developments focus on the Norwegian health system’s crises preparedness. Future reforms will focus on addressing the challenges of the health workforce, reducing waiting times, and continuing the digitalization of health services.
