Hi,
I am a Swiss national and have just moved to Norway 3 weeks ago. Last night I cut my finger quite badly and I find out on Friday if I need surgery to repair a nerve.

They have told me that I am covered here if I have a European Health Care Card but i can not contact anyone who can help me in Switzerland as to weather i can get access to one. I haven't payed Health Insurance in Switzerland since i moved away in April last year. I called my last Health Insurance provider (OKK) and they can not help. Everyone is giving me different numbers to call but nobody knows.

Please help

Thanks
Pat

Do you work in Norway?

No I am still looking for work so I think I have tourist status at the moment. I did not take travel insurance as I had come here to work and I thought there is arrangements between the countries in Europe for health care in case of an emergency.

We probably do not have very good answers since this is a Swiss-associated board, rather than a Norwegian forum. Given that, as I understand it, it sounds like you don't have health insurance right now. You haven't paid for your Swiss insurance since April (and I'm assuming that you actually de-registered yourself from your insurance plan since you were moving), and thus you don't have the European Health Insurance Card. I'm assuming that you haven't registered as a resident of Norway and so don't have access to the Norwegian health system, yet. It sounds like your best bet is to get yourself sussed out with the Norwegian authorities in terms of registering as a resident and then work within their health system.

Hope your finger situation works out okay!

I am fearing that you are not covered by any agreement or insurance and you will have to pay from your own pocket.
If you are a tourist you will have either had to set up an insurance privately or as you say fill in a form prior to departure that would have meant your home Country would have paid.
If you have moved and declared the move you will have to follow the rules of the new Country. Sorry no idea what Norway is. If it were the other way round and you arrived in CH then you would have had to get insurance immediately upon registering.
Hope your finger gets better and you get some more positive alternative news from another EF'er.

I see that you're also an Australian citizen - you might have some coverage from there that could work in Norway.

Thanks everyone. Yes I have looked into getting cover as an Australian. Australia and Norway have an agreement allowing cover for citizens of both countries cover in both countries however, the problem is I entered the country on my Swiss passport so the Aus Embassy here told me I am therefor not an Australian tourist here : ( Bummer...I wanted the stamp too!

I am not sure if they would check my passport for the stamp if I show it to them at the doctors. If I cant get another solution i will try though.

The doctors will want to know where to send the bill not which stamps are in your passport. They will ask for your insurance details or paperwork if they have not already.

Unfortunately the only more or less easy way I see is to board a plane to Switzerland and register under an adress of some friend of yours...

The general principle in Europe (including Switzerland) is that you have to get your health coverage from the country where you work (or from the place where you get your pension etc. from). If you do not work, then it is usually the country of residence.

So Norway will not cover you and neither will a swiss insurance, unless you become a resident of Switzerland again...

Are you sure you didn't enter the country on your Australian passport? It's in the Schengen area I also trust you are an Australian resident (which is a condition for Medicare cover - being a citizen is not enough).

BTW congratulations, you've picked one of 11 countries where there actually is coverage under Medicare: Medicare in Norway

...and paid your insurance!

Nah, the "suspension" would take months to take effect (but unpaid bills can be a big nuissance...)

It sounds like you have a problem to live away from you home, CH.
If you can, It sounds as I predicted, that others have said you come back and register but quick as the doctors will realise the problem cut is old and not inflicted in insurance period. Sorry for no good news.