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Blue prescription and coverage of medicines
Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →
How blue prescription works, what you pay yourself, and what to do if you have paid out of pocket. This comes under Helfo, not NAV.
Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 21 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.
Many people ask NAV for help getting medicines covered. It is Helfo (the Norwegian Health Economics Administration), not NAV, that handles blue prescription and reimbursement of medicines.
What is blue prescription?
With a blue prescription you only pay a co-payment (egenandel) for the medicine, and the rest is covered by the state. The doctor assesses whether the conditions are met.
There are two ways:
- Pre-approved reimbursement: the doctor writes a blue prescription directly, and you can collect the medicine at the pharmacy straight away.
- Individual support: in some cases the doctor must send an application to Helfo on your behalf, and Helfo assesses whether your expenses can be covered.
What do you pay yourself?
According to Helfo, you pay 60 percent of the cost, but no more than NOK 400 per dispensing (the rules changed on 1 January 2026). The co-payments count towards the co-payment cap. Once you have paid enough, you get an exemption card (frikort), and avoid further co-payments for the rest of the year. You can see your registered co-payments and exemption card on Helsenorge.
Have you paid yourself?
If you have bought a prescribed medicine and paid yourself before receiving a decision, you can apply to Helfo for reimbursement. The deadline is six months from the date of purchase. You can apply digitally on Helsenorge. The receipt must show, among other things, the patient's name, product name, quantity, strength, price and date.
Does the basic benefit cover medicines?
No. The basic benefit (grunnstønad) does not cover medicines, but other extra expenses you have because of a permanent condition.
If you are refused
You can complain. The deadline and who to complain to are stated in the decision.
Sources
- Helsenorge. Reimbursement and support schemes (Norwegian)
- Helsenorge. Reimbursement of expenses for medicines on blue prescription (Norwegian)
- Helfo. Change in co-payment calculation for blue prescription from 1 January 2026 (Norwegian)
Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.
This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.