title: Extravagance in welfare benefits: an ill not easy to cure.
abstract: In the developed countries some welfare benefits introduced many years ago in the interest of equity have become unnecessary as personal wealth has increased, but it is politically difficult to withdraw them. The Norwegian practice of reimbursing patients who have non-urgent conditions for the cost of transport to and from health facilities is examined in this light.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Department of Health and Society, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Björndal
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009664:Norway; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000191:economics*; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000191:economics*