Wants to make visits to the doctors free for youngsters

doctor absence rule medical associationDoctor writing out prescription. Photo pixabay.com

Young people aged between 16 and 18 should not have to ask their parents for money to pay the deductible for doctor visits, according to patient- and user ombudsmen, politicians and doctors.

– A 16 year old can with some exceptions decide whether parents should be informed or not when in need of health care services. But they are not exempt from paying the deductible.

For many, this means that they must ask their parents for money for this, according to reports made by the patient- and user ombudsmen, NRK writes.

The patient- and user ombudsmen suggest that it should be free for youth between 16 and 18 years old to visit a doctor. Labour and its youth organization, AUF has also advocated the proposal.

Chairman of the Public Association of Doctors, Tom Ole Øren, says to the channel that they are happy for the suggestion, but that they really want to raise the exemption to 20 years of age.

– We see that it is not so easy for young people to ask for money to go to their doctor, because they wish to be anonymous in relation to their parents.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today