Hello

Helfo is a government agency that, among other things, manages blue receptor, free cards for health services, changing GPs, patient referrals in case of missed deadlines and certain contribution schemes. Helfo safeguards health rights according to Chapter 5 of the National Insurance Act and informs both citizens and health actors.

The blue receptor cell

The blue prescription system means that the state covers a large part of the costs of medicines, medical consumables (MFM) and food for certain diseases and conditions. The doctor writes the prescription; some products are pre-approved, others require an application for individual benefits.

There are several changes to the blue prescription scheme from 2026. Read here about the most important changes and what they mean for families.

New deductible rules from January 1, 2026:
The deductible is now calculated per dispensing (per dispatch/cash transaction), regardless of the number of prescriptions. You pay 60 %, but a maximum of 400 NOK per dispensing. This also applies to prescriptions written before 01.01.2026. A maximum of 3 months' consumption per product can be dispensed at a time (when staying abroad, more can be dispensed, registered as multiple dispensings.

NOTE: Children under the age of 16 do not pay a deductible.

Free card: When approved deductibles reach a set amount, you will automatically receive a free card and will not have to pay any additional deductibles for the rest of the calendar year.

A blue prescription is valid for 1 year, before it must be renewed by the doctor.

Pre-approved products

When the child has received a blue prescription from the doctor for pre-approved products, you can go straight to the pharmacy (or bandage specialist/BHM) to pick up the products that apply to that prescription.

Helfo's product and price lists show which products can be dispensed with a blue prescription for certain diseases or conditions. You can only have expenses covered for the products listed on the product list. These are revised when a new tender is issued. There are restrictions on certain products.

You can see the product lists here.

Medicines not pre-approved - individual benefit

If the child needs medicines/consumables that are not pre-approved, the doctor can apply for you to get them on a blue prescription through Helfo, a so-called individual benefit. It is the doctor who sends the application.

If the child's application is approved, you will receive a decision. You must take this decision with you the first time you pick up products from a pharmacy or bandage specialist. In addition, the doctor must write a blue prescription.

Individual allowance for opioids

We have written more extensively about pain relief for children with serious illness/palliative treatment here.

Changes from 1 January 2020 for people with a stoma

Some changes were made to what is covered by ostomy equipment from 01.01.20. Among other things, a number of products were tightened.

There is now a quantity limit of up to 80 spray adhesive removers (plaster removers), 1,000 plate extenders, 4,000 gel-forming granules, 20 ostomy belts, 10 belts for fixation, 2 belts for compression and 400 closing clips and clips for emptyable bags per calendar year.
Diapers are no longer part of consumables for stoma, but this can be covered through the diaper prescription "Consumables for incontinence".
It is no longer a requirement that patients have developed a parastomal hernia in order to receive allowance for ostomy belts (for compression).
Irrigation equipment for use in a stoma now requires a special prescription.

Changes to medical consumables (MFM) on blue prescription from January 1, 2026

From 1 January 2026, there will be significant changes to medical consumables. The change concerns how certain types of medical consumables are provided and financed. The changes concern diabetes, lung disease, hip protectors, ichthyosis, and that the financing responsibility for some groups of MFM will be transferred to the specialist health service. See the changes here: Changes for medical consumables on blue prescription from January 1, 2026 – Helfo.

Contribution to special circumstances

Helfo can in some cases provide contributions to expenses for healthcare services and products that are not covered by other schemes. When you have paid more than a set minimum amount in a calendar year, you can apply to Helfo to have 90% that exceeds this amount covered. The amount varies. The scheme includes, among other things, chronic/serious wounds, chronic skin disorders (over-the-counter ointments/creams), electric breast pumps at LKG, riding physiotherapy and courses/meetings for rare diagnoses.

Merger in the family: In some cases, the breadwinner may combine expenses for a spouse/cohabitant and/or children under the age of 18, but each person must have reached minimum amount for the relevant purpose before merger.

Below is a list of things that are relevant for children and young people:

Cystic fibrosis
Children with CF can be covered for antibac (hand sanitiser), disposable tubes, paper napkins and spittoons, in addition to products they get on a blue prescription.
Skin disorders
People with significant and chronic skin disorders, such as ichthyosis, psoriasis, burns) can have expenses for non-prescription ointments, creams and oils covered. It is a condition that the need is/is expected to be permanent (two years or more). The doctor applies for Helfo, and with a decision you get 90% of the costs covered. Annual deductible is NOK 2,000. You must buy the ointments yourself at the regular price and submit a refund claim through helsenorge.no
Chronic and severe wounds and fistulas
Expenses for bandages and medical consumables, and over-the-counter medicines for wound treatment, e.g. pressure sores.
Loan of special prams for children with hip defects
If you have a child with a congenital hip defect (hip dislocation or hip dysplasia) who is treated with plaster or Frejka's pillow, Helfo can grant approval for the loan of a special pram. Read more about this here.
Breast pump
If you have a child with reduced sucking ability due to cleft lip, jaw and palate, you can get a one-off contribution from Helfo to cover expenses for an electric breast pump. Read more about it here.
Coverage of special mattress and bed linen due to mite allergy (incontinence covers for bed are covered by Nav hijjemiddelsentral)
Children and young people under the age of 16 with a documented mite allergy can have expenses for mattress and pillow covers covered. Helfo covers expenses with up to NOK 1,506 for mattress covers and up to NOK 307 for pillow covers. You only get the expenses covered once. read more here.
The Montobello Center
Children with cancer can have family courses covered for parents and two siblings under the age of 15 at the Montobello centre. Contributions can also be given to children between 15 and 18 years of age if they are offered participation in family courses at the Montebello centre.
PDG treatment
PDG stands for Pre implantation genetic diagnosis – genetic testing of the embryo before insertion into the uterus. Can be used if you have had a child with a genetically inherited, serious/fatal disease that you do not want the sibling to inherit.
Equestrian physiotherapy
For children with movement, balance and/or coordination difficulties, as well as physical or mental functional variation who cannot participate in "normal" activities, Helfo can cover expenses for riding therapy with a physiotherapist. It can be cerebral palsy, brain damage, paralysis, mental retardation, injury after an accident, as well as blind and deaf people.

More detailed information can be found in the circular. here.

Speech therapist and audio pedagogue

From 1 January 2022 it was done changes in the benefit scheme for examination and treatment by speech therapists and audiologists.

Some of the most important rule changes are that:

A referral from a doctor is sufficient, and a specialist's opinion is no longer required before starting treatment
There is no longer a requirement for prior consent from Helfo for children under the age of 18
The requirement for a new referral/assessment from a doctor and speech therapist/audiologist after 25 treatments has been removed

Helfo can provide benefits to a private speech therapist and audio pedagogue if the municipality lacks the specialist skills your child needs. The application must have documentation from a specialist doctor or specialist department in a hospital that there is an illness that is the cause of the need for treatment by a speech therapist/audiologist. For children under 18, the treatment must be approved by Helfo before starting, and up to 25 treatments are given.
Should there be a need for more than 25 treatments, you can apply again with a statement from both the specialist doctor/department and the speech therapist/audiologist.

Read more about what speech therapists and audiologists can help with here.

Free treatment center

All patients who have received the right to treatment in the specialist health service can select between various public services/hospitals throughout the country, and private services that have an agreement with a regional healthcare company.

The right to freely choose a place of treatment is guaranteed in the Patient and User Rights Act and in the Specialist Health Services Act. The right applies to all parts of the treatment process. This means e.g. that the assessment of the patient's state of health can take place in one place, and the treatment in another place. You can also choose to change the treatment location after the treatment has started.

Free treatment location does not apply to acute situations/acute illness.

Deadline violations in the specialist health service

When children are referred to the specialist health service for help and treatment, they have 10 days to assess the referral and decide whether or not the child is entitled to help and treatment. If they decide that your child needs help and treatment in the specialist health service, they must set a deadline for when the child will receive this.

If the specialist health service is unable to provide your child with treatment within the deadline, they must notify Helfo of the deadline breach. You can also notify Helfo's patient information service yourself. When a time limit is breached, a right to receive treatment at another hospital/treatment center is automatically triggered. Helfo must find treatment options, either in the public or private sector.

Change GP

All registered persons living in a Norwegian municipality have the right to a GP.
You also have the right to change your GP if you move or are not satisfied with the one you have. To change your GP, you must log in to helsenorge.no. There you can find and change GPs.

If the doctor you want is not available, you can put yourself on the waiting list.

You have the right to change your GP up to 3 times per calendar year.

Course stay abroad

For children with rare diagnoses (fewer than 1 per 2000), expenses for courses or meetings abroad can be reimbursed when there is no competence center or professional environment with special experience with the relevant diagnosis/condition in Norway. If the offer is available in the Nordic countries, it must be used there. If there is no offer in the Nordics either, you can have expenses covered for a course/meeting in another country in the world.

It must be a professional program that provides useful value. The main purpose is for parents/relatives to learn more about how the child with the rare diagnosis should be treated in daily life, and for the family and the child to have the opportunity to meet others in the same situation.

Helfo can e.g. cover necessary expenses for:

travel and accommodation
participation fee
food and drink after receipt (or according to fixed rates if it is not possible to document with a receipt)
visa (not passport)
You can also have expenses covered for people over the age of 18.

Read more about how you can get covered courses/collections abroad, documentation and application requirements etc. here.

Health services abroad

For children in need of a habilitation stay abroad, Helfo can cover expenses for the child and parents, and possibly siblings and the child's assistants.

If your child has follow-up/treatment in the specialist health service, the child may have the right to receive treatment abroad if there is no provision in Norway, or if there is documented more effective health care abroad than that offered by the public sector in Norway.

It is recommended to apply for approval before accepting treatment offers from abroad, otherwise you risk paying all the expenses yourself.

An application for approval is sent to the health region you belong to:

European health insurance card

The health insurance card gives you the right to cover necessary medical treatment at hospitals and/or practitioners affiliated with the public health system in the country in which you are staying. You should take the card with you if you are going to stay temporarily in another EEA country or in Switzerland. You are entitled to cover on the same terms as the country's residents, and you must pay the same deductibles as them.

The health insurance card also applies to children under the age of 18. Everyone must have their own card.

Health insurance card ordered here.

It is a good idea to have travel insurance in addition.

Complain

If you receive a full or partial rejection from Helfo, you can appeal this. The appeal deadline is 6 weeks after you have received the refusal.

You can complain digitally here.

You can also make a complaint on paper by filling in the complaint form below and sending it by post. The complaint is sent to: Helfo, PO Box 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.

When you complain, the department in Helfo that gave you the refusal will reassess your case.

If your complaint does not yield a different result, Helfo will send your complaint to Heycomplaint. Before the case is sent to the Health Complaints Office, you will be sent a presentation of the case. You should read this carefully. If you have more arguments/comments that you would like to add to the case, you should forward these to the Health Complaints Office.

If you are not upheld in your complaint at Helseklage, you can appeal to the Social Security Court. The appeal must be sent to Health Complaints. Read more about it here.

General tips

We have collected several good tips about medicines and pharmacy services here.
Other suppliers of equipment on blue prescription are BHM and bandage specialist.
An example of a complaint setup can be found on our intranet Gnist (for members).