The municipalities must provide the necessary health services for everyone living in the municipality – also for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The municipalities shall, among other things, offer:
- health center for children and young people and school health services, pregnancy and maternity care
- GP scheme
- emergency room
- rehabilitation
- health and care services such as home nursing, personal assistance, nursing homes and relief measures.
The county municipality shall ensure that dental health services, including specialist services, are reasonably available to everyone who lives or temporarily stays in the county.
The regional health authorities shall ensure access to health services in hospitals and with specialists for all who live or temporarily stay in the health region.
The municipal health services are financed by the state through social security schemes, through municipal funds and through deductibles from patients. Health care in the specialist service is financed by the state through grants to the health trusts, social security financing and deductibles from patients.
Children under the age of 16 do not pay deductibles for health care that falls under deductible ceiling 1: approved deductibles paid to a doctor, psychologist, outpatient clinic, X-ray, travel for examination and treatment (patient travel) and for the purchase of medicines and equipment on a blue prescription.
