Norwegian Physician Market Policy

Abstract

I discuss what the government can do and has done to reach its equity-oriented policy targets concerning the geographical distribution of physicians in the municipality health service. Current policies has been inadequate to solve the problems. Securing an adequate supply of physicians seems to be a cruical policy tool. Forecasts in the 80s mistakenly predicted a future oversupply of physicians. The education capacity was reduced. The physician shortage was severe during the 1990s. The forecasts used in planning today are based on dubious assumptions. Costbenefit analyses with a risk averseness perspective can provide more suitable information for deciding what the education capacity for physicians should be.