Right to coverage of expenses for healthcare services in the event of occupational injury

Helfo can cover expenses for medical care, outpatient clinics, X-rays, dental care and physiotherapy in full in the event of an occupational injury. You may also be refunded your expenses for medicines, food products for medical purposes, medical supplies, bandages, creams, ointments, oils and appropriate aids (glasses). The condition for this is that NAV approves your occupational injury.

Person getting a massage — Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo

What can Helfo cover in the event of occupational injury?

You can apply to Helfo for coverage of healthcare costs relating to your occupational injury.

Full coverage basically means you will not have to pay any user fees. On NAV's website, you can read more about the conditions for having a personal injury or illness approved as an occupational injury.

Once NAV has approved your injury or illness as an occupational injury, you will receive a decision about this from NAV. The decision will describe the injury or illness that has been approved. You can then apply to Helfo for coverage of healthcare costs relating to your occupational injury. You will find the application form further down the page.

You can apply for coverage of expenses for travel to and from treatment. Read more about the refunding of travel expenses at Pasientreiser (Patient Travel).

Helfo may cover essential expenses for the following healthcare services under Section 5-25 of the National Insurance Act (only in Norwegian):

medical care, outpatient clinics and X-rays
physiotherapy
dental care
medicines, food products for medical purposes and medical supplies
bandages
appropriate aids (glasses)

Helfo does not cover expenses for treatment by a chiropractor or speech therapist, or treatment by a psychologist under the regulations concerning occupational injuries. In such cases, Helfo will pay subsidies in accordance with the ordinary subsidy rules of the National Insurance scheme.

In order to have your expenses covered in full under the rules concerning occupational injuries, it is a requirement that the need for the healthcare service is primarily or largely due to the occupational injury.

Acute phase lasting three months

During the first three months after the date of injury (acute phase), you will not need to have documentation from your doctor to verify that there is a link between the injury that you have had approved and your treatment.

When you send Helfo receipts for expenses for treatment, you must enclose a copy of the approval decision from NAV.

If you receive treatment after the end of this three-month acute period, your doctor must provide a written statement documenting a clear link between the injury you have had approved and the treatment you are receiving.

It is sufficient to provide documentation from a GP for all applications relating to an occupational injury. The doctor may consider whether you need treatment, medical equipment or supplies, for example. In case of dental injury, a general dentist can provide the statement. The first time you apply for a subsidy for glasses, an ophthalmologist must provide the statement.

Medical care, outpatient clinics and X-rays in connection with occupational injury

If you need to see a doctor, have X-rays taken or get treatment at an outpatient clinic because of an injury and you have not yet received a decision concerning your occupational injury from NAV, you will have to pay the applicable user fees (and the cost of necessary medical supplies).

You must then apply to Helfo for coverage once you have received your occupational injury decision from NAV. See "Submitting applications to Helfo digitally" further down the page.

Helfo covers user fees and supplies according to fixed rates.

If you have received a decision from NAV and require medical care, treatment at an outpatient clinic or X-rays as a result of the occupational injury, you must take the decision letter with you to the treatment center. The doctor will consider whether the treatment is necessary as a result of your occupational injury. In this case, you will not have to pay a user fee.

The doctor must have a GP agreement with the municipality or an operating subsidy agreement with the regional health trust (hospital).

Physiotherapy linked to occupational injury

If you need physiotherapy treatment before you have received NAV's approval decision and have to pay for your treatment, you must apply to Helfo for a refund.

See "Submitting applications to Helfo digitally" further down the page.

If you have received the decision from the NAV and need physiotherapy treatment as a result of your occupational injury, you must take the decision with you when you go to the physiotherapist/manual therapist. The treatment provider will consider whether the treatment is necessary as a result of and in accordance with the approved occupational injury from NAV. In this case, you will not have to pay a user fee.

Since 1 January 2018, there has been no condition that you must have been referred by a doctor, chiropractor or manual therapist.

The physiotherapist must have an operating subsidy agreement with the municipality.

Dental treatment following occupational injury

If you need dental treatment before you have received NAV's approval decision and have to pay for your treatment, you must apply to Helfo for a refund.

See "Submitting applications to Helfo digitally" further down the page.

If you have received the decision from NAV and need dental treatment as a result of your occupational injury, you must take the decision with you when you go to the dentist. The dentist will consider whether the treatment is necessary as a result of your occupational injury. If so, you will not have to pay a user fee. The treatment should restore the condition that existed before the accident occurred.

Please note that the dentist's fees may be higher than the National Insurance scheme's rates. This means that you must expect to pay the difference between what Helfo covers and what the dentist charges.

Medicines, food products for medical purposes and medical supplies in connection with occupational injury

The doctor will assess whether you need medicines, special food products and/or medical supplies as a result of your occupational injury.

If you need any of these things for more than three months after the date of injury (acute phase), the doctor must provide a statement detailing your needs.

In the medical statement, the doctor must confirm that your needs are due to the approved occupational injury. The statement must also specify the medicines, food products and medical supplies that you need as a result of your occupational injury. If you need addictive medicines in connection with your occupational injury, the doctor must state the daily dose that can be prescribed.

You must send the medical statement, along with a copy of the decision from NAV approving your occupational injury, to Helfo. See "Submitting applications to Helfo digitally" further down the page.

If you receive a decision concerning a subsidy to cover your expenses, you can collect medicines, food products or medical supplies from your local pharmacy or medical supplies store. You must then take the decision from Helfo with you, but you will not need the occupational injury decision from NAV.

Bandages, creams, ointments and oils in connection with occupational injury

The doctor will assess whether you need bandages, creams, ointments and oils as a result of your occupational injury.

If you need any of these things for more than three months after the date of injury, the doctor must provide a statement detailing your needs.

In the medical statement, the doctor must certify that your needs are due to the approved occupational injury. The statement must specify the medical supplies that you need as a result of your occupational injury. It must also state the approximate total quantities of creams, ointments and oils that you will need per year.

You must send this statement, along with a copy of the decision from NAV approving your occupational injury, to Helfo. See "Submitting applications to Helfo digitally" further down the page.

Bandages and medical supplies must be purchased at a pharmacy or medical supplies store. This does not apply to creams, ointments and oils.

If you are receiving wound care from a community nurse, it is the municipality that is responsible for covering the expenses involved.

Glasses following occupational injury

If you need glasses as a result of your occupational injury, you can apply to Helfo to have your expenses covered.

Helfo will cover the cost of frames up to NOK 1,500 and essential lenses (of the least expensive option). If, for medical reasons, you cannot wear glasses because of your occupational injury, you may be able to have the cost of contact lenses covered.

The cost of an eyesight test by an optician will not be covered.

An ophthalmologist must confirm that the visual impairment is due to your occupational injury.

You must send this statement, along with a copy of the decision from NAV approving your occupational injury and an itemised receipt, to Helfo. See "Submitting applications to Helfo digitally" further down the page.

If you need other aids as a result of your occupational injury, NAV will consider whether you are entitled to coverage of your expenses.

Submitting your application to Helfo digitally

In order to be entitled to a refund, NAV must have approved your occupational injury.

You can apply for a refund of your healthcare expenses due to your occupational injury by using a digital form.

You will need to attach the following:

• itemized receipts (stating the product name, price, date of purchase and name of the retailer)

• the approval decision from NAV

You will also need to check the sections above to see whether you need to attach a medical statement to your application.

Application for coverage of expenses for healthcare services in the event of occupational injury

If you incurred expenses due to your occupational injury before NAV approved it, the deadline for submitting receipts is six months after the occupational injury was approved.

Retrospectively, the deadline is six months from the date on which you incurred each individual expense.

Paper form

If you are unable to use our digital form, you can complete the following instead (only available in Norwegian):

Kvitteringsskjema for utgifter som kan dekkes ved godkjent yrkesskade/skoleskade/militærskade (05-25.01) Bokmål (helfo.no)
Kvitteringsskjema for utgifter som kan dekkast ved godkjend yrkesskade/skuleskade/militærskade (05-25.01) Nynorsk (helfo.no)

If you have suffered an occupational injury which results in a permanent need for bandages and medical supplies, the doctor must complete this form (only available in Norwegian):

Legeerklæring ved søknad om bidrag til bandasjemateriell og medisinsk forbruksmateriell, ftrl. § 5-22 (05-22.07) Bokmål
Legeerklæring ved søknad om bidrag til bandasjemateriell og medisinsk forbruksmateriell , fltrl. § 5-22 (05-22-07) Nynorsk

If you have suffered an occupational injury which results in a permanent need for creams, ointments and oils for longer than three months after the date of injury, the doctor must complete this form (only available in Norwegian):

Legeerklæring fra relevant spesialist ved søknad om bidrag til salver, kremer, gel og oljer ftrl. § 5-22 (05-22.09) Bokmål
Legeerklæring frå relevant spesialist ved søknad om bidrag til salvar, kremar, gel og oljar ftrl. § 5-22 (05-22.09) Nynorsk

In the event of an occupational injury, it is sufficient for a GP to fill in the application for contributions.

You must send the form together with original, itemised receipts and other relevant documentation to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.

PS: If you are completing the form on behalf of a child under 16, it is the child's details that you need to enter. However, the form must be signed by the parent/guardian.

Claim processing time

Helfo can take up to eight weeks to process claims.

Power of Attorney over Helfo communications

To contact Helfo on behalf of someone else, you must have power of attorney. Parents/guardians also require power of attorney for children over 16. This is because the legal age of majority in Norwegian health care is 16 years.

«Fullmaktsskjema for Helfo-henvendelser/Power of attorney form for requests to Helfo (21-00.01)» Bokmål | Nynorsk | English

Health records contain sensitive information and should not be transmitted by e-mail. We therefore ask you to send the power of attorney to Helfo as an attachment to the digital form, or by post to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg. Remember to enclose a copy of valid proof of your identity.

Log in to Helfo's digital form (only in Norwegian)

Send søknad med vedlegg til Helfo (altinn.no)