Which costs do the contributions cover?
Contributions from enterprises which are subject to the obligations regarding registration and contributions are used to cover both investigations into cases and compensation that is paid to patients whose applications are approved.
Thorough investigation
Investigations into patient injury cases can vary considerably in terms of their scope and cost. In most cases, it will be necessary to obtain medical records from the treatment provider that the complaint concerns, along with relevant information (medical records) from other places where the patient has been treated. Both the applicant and the treatment provider will be given the opportunity to issue statements. In most cases, an expert assessment of the treatment will also be required. Some cases require extensive documentation and a number of opportunities for the parties involved (the applicant and the treatment provider concerned) to issue statements.
Contributions are used to cover costs that NPE incurs in investigating all the cases that concern treatment provided by the private health service.
Compensation
When NPE approves an application, we must determine the appropriate compensation. What are the consequences of your injury in terms of financial loss or permanent injury? The compensation may cover expenses incurred in attempting to remedy the injury, added expenses incurred as a result of having to live with an injury, lost earnings and compensation for permanent injury if your injury results in a medical disability of at least 15 percent. In cases where the injuries are major or where there is considerable permanent medical disability which results in loss of employment and a need for nursing and care provision, the compensation can amount to several million kroner.
Compensation amounts vary from NOK 10,000 up to several million kroner. The average payout in concluded cases in the private health service is NOK 150,000.
Example of a case involving a small payout
A patient underwent a nose reduction operation. Errors made during the treatment resulted in unnecessarily extensive scarring and a need for corrective action. Compensation amounting to NOK 15,000 was paid to the patient to cover expenses to remedy the injury.
Example of a case involving a large payout
A patient suffered severe pain following the failure of dental treatment. The patient’s business failed and the patient ended up with a major permanent medical disability. The patient was reimbursed for their expenses, compensation for permanent injury and loss of earnings. In total, the compensation amounted to several million Norwegian kroner.