(Dagbladet): The woman has for years been covered psychologist from Finland over the phone, so she is entitled to as a Norwegian citizen. This is the end – because she and psychologist uses the wrong type of phone.
Health Economics Administration – Helfo – refuses namely to cover her expenses while she uses Skype telephony.
Do not Skype and e -mail
the background to the case is that Helfo nine times last year received applications for reimbursement of expenses that the woman claimed to psychological assistance by telephone. The woman has been treated by a psychologist since 2011. But when she switched from phone to Skype telephony she no.
– This is a completely incomprehensible decision. Helfo and Directorate of Health can not possibly understand what Skype is, says lawyer Olav Lægreid law firm Legalis Dagbladet.
He has represented the woman in the complaint.
All sides agree that the woman was entitled to recover psychological help from another EEA country. All parties also agreed that she had the right to be reimbursed the treatment even though it took place over the phone.
But because the woman at some point walked over to Skype telephony, has Helfo now refused to cover the costs of the treatment. In its decision printer advisers:
– (…) It follows from the circular to the National Insurance Act §5-7 that psychotherapy using other communication tools than letters and phone – like skype, email or the like, are not covered by the provision.
Thus, enter Helfo, it is only normal telephone and letter sent by mail – no Skype phone or email – which may be used.
– Roughly unreasonable
– the health bureaucrats stumbled in the understanding of the facts. They should want new technology welcomed, not thwart the said attorney Lægreid.
Where regular phone calls going over the telecommunications network takes place Skype calls over the Internet. Skype also allows you to see the caller.
– For my client is just that an important point. That she and the psychologist can see each other has given her greater benefit from the consultations, said Lægreid.
He appealed HELFO decision – but have been rejected. Attorney Lægreid alleges in its complaint that Skype just is conducting a phone call with audio and video – and in practice therefore is the same as the phone.
Lægreid shows that the woman has received treatment since 2011 and it appears to be arbitrary and grossly unfair that Helfo change practices throughout five years out of treatment. He also points out that this funding should be technology neutral and do not apply to certain types of telephones, but not others.
– I question whether Helfo simply do not know what Skype is, says Lægreid.
in connection with the appeal, he ended a Skype telephone of that kind to show what the woman has used – without it helped.
Safety Reasons
Director Steinar Mathisen Health Directorate told Dagbladet that there are security reasons why it is not possible to obtain reimbursement for psychological help via Skype.
– Skype does not meet safety requirements to exchange health information. It is also the reason why you can not use email, says Mathisen.
– This is about privacy security and data security. It’s safer with regular telephone, where it is harder to overhear and hacking into the line.
At the same time use the health authorities also normal letters, rather than email. In the postal service is a number of people guaranteed to be stopped by letter, nevertheless considered this format to be safer.
– We consider traditional telephone and ordinary letter to be safer. Modern mobile phones are harder to intercept than unencrypted communication via the Internet. And we assume of course that a common, enclosed letter remains closed throughout the supply chain to be received, it is forbidden to open and read other people’s mail, says Mathisen.
– It’s also forbidden to hack IP phone lines, just as it is forbidden to open other people’s letters?
– it is enough surely. But this is about the safety legislators have set when it comes to digital dissemination of health information, says Mathisen.
More effectively
Mathisen says that the Directorate that innovations will be able to streamline treatments.
– GPs now communicate digitally with their patients, but it is a profession scheme that is far ahead when it comes to use of innovations. Psychologists have not been so far ahead in that area, he said.
So far it has not been discussed specifically adopting new forms of communication by treatment with a psychologist specialist. And in this particular case, it is the hook on the door for reimbursement for treatment via Skype.
– Via Skype it probably is. It does not meet the requirements, says Mathisen.
Director Siv Hvidsten in HELFO department complaint, appeal and regulations writes in an email to Dagbladet that Helfo has rejected the appeal from the current legislation.
– it says that Skype can not be used as a communication tool by treatment with a psychologist. It’s Directorate of Health which administers the regulations.
– Direct error
Lawyer Lægreid react to health bureaucrats’ presentation:
– It is directly wrong when Directorate in this case refers to that they can not accept unencrypted communication via the Internet. Skype is just encrypted communications. This is expressed directly by the support pages to Microsoft. It says also that the encryption standard that Skype uses is the same as that used by the US government to protect sensitive information, claims Lægreid.
Agency would not comment on this.
– I will remind also remind you that there is nothing in the Directorate of Health circular on why Skype is not covered. Moreover, not the agency, either in circular or in the appeal, explained why Skype has a lower level of security than regular telephony. This is a brand new and quite original grounds. Directorate now claims also that the legislator has put this restriction. It is an undeniable that their justification follows a circular and not by the law, says lawyer Lægreid.
Bs Høie for help
– The refusal of our appeal has cost my client thousands of kronor and will also in future cost her dearly in treatment costs, says a stated lawyer Olav Lægreid.
– She has found it necessary – in spite of the refusal – to continue psychologist processing via Skype, because the way to communicate is much better for her, says Lægreid.
He is now asking the Minister of health to intervene.
– it is important to emphasize that Skype does not entail additional expenses for the public. There is no case telephony, but only the psychologist’s use of time, which is covered by the public. I will appeal to health and Human Services Bent Høie about getting updated regulations.
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