Treatment, training and courses abroad for children with disabilities
Helfo can reimburse expenses for stays abroad to enable children with disabilities to attend specific treatment, training or courses.
Illustration: Morten Rakke / Helfo
Relevant treatments
Helfo can cover essential expenses for travel and stays for the following treatment, training and course stays:
- The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP) in Philadelphia, USA, in connection with training according to the Doman method
- courses on the Kozijavkin method in Ukraine
- ABR (Advanced Bio-mechanical Rehabilitation) in Europe
- FHC (The Family Hope Center – An International Center for the Development of Children) in Philadelphia, USA
Helfo can also cover travel and accommodation expenses if the IAHP Institute and FHC arrange courses in Europe.
Example
Rasmus is five years old and has a disability. Rasmus' parents want him to receive treatment specifically for his condition. In cooperation with Rasmus' doctor, they have found suitable treatment in the United States at the FHC in Philadelphia.
Who can have their expenses covered?
Helfo can cover expenses for children with disabilities, as well as their parents and siblings.
Helfo can cover expenses for the following:
- Children with disabilities. Helfo can also reimburse individuals over the age of 18 who start an intensive training program.
- Parents / next of kin to children with disabilities.
- Siblings, if there is a programme or service for siblings at the course centre.
- An escort, if other adults must accompany the child in addition to the parents.
- More than one escort when a doctor has declared this to be necessary. You must have such a declaration for each trip.
- An assistant who is involved in the daily provision of support, if it is necessary for the assistant to participate to complete the course/meeting. Helfo does not cover expenses for an assistant who will attend the course solely to receive essential training to follow up the day-to-day training after the course.
Helfo does not cover expenses for other relatives, childminders or relief workers, unless they are participating as essential escorts.
Example
Rasmus and his parents can have their expenses for the course stay covered. Rasmus does not need any adults other than his parents.
What expenses can you have covered?
Amongst other things, Helfo can cover participant fees and essential travel and accommodation/subsistence expenses.
Helfo can cover essential expenses for:
- travel and accommodation
- participant fees
- subsistence based on receipts (or at the applicable rates if expenses cannot be documented through receipts)
- visas (not passports/electronic passports)
It is a condition for reimbursement that the child travels/receives the treatment.
Example
Rasmus’ parents find out that they can have their expenses for travel and accommodation, participant fees and subsistence covered.
Apply for prior authorisation or an advance payment
You can apply for prior authorisation or an advance payment to cover your expenses related to treatment, training or courses.
It is essential to apply for prior authorisation or an advance payment well in advance of the trip. It generally takes up to eight weeks to process cases.
See the documentation requirements in Step 5 and information about submitting the application in Step 6.
You must notify Helfo if you have received an advance payment but are unable to travel after all. You will then have to repay the advance.
Example
Rasmus’ parents need an advance payment to cover the travel and accommodation. They send an application well in advance of the trip.
Remember documentation!
The documentation you will need to obtain is listed below.
You will need the following documentation to apply for prior authorisation or an advance payment:
- a statement from the child's doctor stating that the treatment, training or course stay abroad is considered to be medically justified (you will not need to obtain a new statement every time you apply)
- a statement from your regional health authority stating that the existing habilitation service available in Norway is not sufficient (you will not need to obtain a new statement every time you apply)
- alternatively, a declaration (confirmation) of the need for more than one escort to accompany the child (you will need a new declaration for each journey)
- documentation of your anticipated essential expenses for travel and accommodation – include documentation (for example, a screenshot of the course fee and prices for flight tickets and hotel accommodation)
- documentation of your anticipated essential expenses for subsistence – use the rate for meals of NOK 275 (2025) per day per person
After the trip, you must submit a reimbursement application, regardless of whether you received prior approval or an advance payment. This is to document the actual expenses you incurred. You will need the following documentation:
- itemised receipts for expenses
- any documentation listed above that you have not already submitted to Helfo
Example
Rasmus’ parents obtain a statement from the doctor which states that the course is medically justified, along with a statement from the regional health authority that the treatment available in Norway is not available or sufficient. They also find documentation of what the travel and accommodation costs will be.
Submit your application
You must submit your application to Helfo by no later than 30 June in the year after that in which the treatment, training or course stay took place.
For details of the documentation requirements, see "Remember documentation!"
Log in to Helfo's digital form
Once your application has been processed by Helfo, you will be sent a decision.
Paper form
If you are unable to use the digital form, you can apply by sending the application to Helfo, Postboks 2415, 3104 Tønsberg.
For advance payment and prior authorisation, there is no paper form. Write a cover letter yourself with information about what you are applying for. Attach documentation.
For a reimbursement application, use the following form and include necessary documentation:
It is a good idea to take a picture (make a copy) of your original receipts before sending them to Helfo.
Rasmus' parents send all the documentation to Helfo several weeks before departure, and they receive a decision granting an advance payment. Helfo pays the advance, allowing the parents to cover the cost of the trip. When they return home, they submit a reimbursement application and include receipts for all the expenses they incurred. They are reimbursed for any amount not already covered by the advance.
Guidance Helsenorge
If you have any questions, please call Guidance Helsenorge: +47 23 32 70 00
Case processing time and response to application
The processing time at Helfo for applications for treatment, training or courses abroad for children with disabilities is generally up to eight weeks.
Submitting additional documentation
Here you will find information on how to submit additional documentation.
For Helfo to process your application as quickly as possible, you must submit all documentation and receipts when submitting your application. If you however need to submit additional documentation, follow these steps after logging in to Altinn:
- Select “Tilleggsopplysninger til søknad/fullmakt” from the drop-down menu under “Hva gjelder innsending”/”Innsendingen gjelder”.
- Select “Etterspurt dokumentasjon” under “Tilleggsopplysninger”.
- Make sure to enter the reference number relating to your existing case. This will allow us to consider your case more quickly. The reference number will have the following format: “22/0000”.