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Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) - Norway (RATIFICATION: 1954)

The Committee has examined the detailed report supplied by the Government and notes with interest the adjustment to the basic amount of all benefits and to the special supplement to certain of these benefits, as well as the increases in family allowances. The Committee also notes the amendments to the National Insurance Act during the period covered by the report, and the various regulations issued under this Act. The Committee hopes that the Government will not fail to continue to take account of the provisions of the Convention in any restrictive measure that it may have to take in the future in order to maintain the financial equilibrium of the insurance scheme.

The Committee would none the less appreciate more detailed information on the following points.

Part II (Medical care), Article 10, paragraphs 1(a)(iii) and 2, of the Convention. The Committee takes note of the Government's statement to the effect that, as a general rule, medical care beneficiaries pay the total costs of pharmaceutical supplies in the case of a morbid condition, except for certain medications for long-term use in the case of chronic diseases. These medications which are published in a special list, are partly reimbursed by the insurance. The Committee also notes that under section 2-5, subsection 3, of the above-mentioned Act, as amended in 1986, only vital drugs, hearing aids and necessary and appropriate supporting bandages or prosthetic appliances are reimbursed; serums and vaccines which were previously included have also been deleted.

Since the above-mentioned provisions of the Convention stipulate that medical benefits must also include essential pharmaceutical supplies in the cost of which the beneficiary may be required to share, but not to bear the entire amount, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the manner in which full effect is given to the Convention on this point and to provide the list of vital drugs that are reimbursable.