Kristiansund stops fees for safety alarms after error

Kristiansund Municipality has stopped charging residents for safety alarms after acknowledging that many users were billed incorrectly, NRK reports. The change took effect immediately on Thursday.

A safety alarm is a button worn around the neck or wrist that older people can press when they need urgent help. Many municipalities charge users for the alarms, but the rules have been interpreted incorrectly in several cases.

“When the safety alarm is necessary for you to receive essential supervision or health and care services, you should not pay for it,” the municipality said in a press release. It said most people who receive safety alarms from Kristiansund do so because of such needs.

Anne Cathrine Grav Olsen of Kristiansund Municipality said the legislation on safety alarms had been difficult to assess and had been discussed internally for several years.

The County Governor of Møre og Romsdal states that municipalities cannot charge a fee when a safety alarm replaces services for which users cannot be charged. These include respite care, home health services, necessary supervision, safety assistance, personal care and help with self-care.

A fee may be charged when an alarm is provided as practical assistance that does not involve personal care or self-care. Municipalities may also charge for an alarm offered as a voluntary service to people who do not have needs that entitle them to services under the Patient and User Rights Act.

Bengt Gustav Eriksson, county leader of the Elderly Council in Møre og Romsdal, welcomed the change and called it a victory for older users across the county. He said people should be able to use a safety alarm regardless of their financial or social circumstances.

Eriksson also said people who had been charged incorrectly should get their money back. Kristiansund Municipality is now reviewing residents’ previous payments, but has not yet clarified the rules for refunds. The municipality says lawyers are handling the matter.

The County Governor opened an inspection of Ålesund Municipality this summer after it introduced fees for safety alarms. Following that case and several media reports, the County Governor sent a letter to all municipalities in Møre og Romsdal explaining the rules.

Grete Teigland, an area director at the County Governor’s office, said it was serious if people had declined necessary supervision at home because they could not afford a safety alarm. She said Ålesund and Kristiansund had so far stopped charging people who are entitled to receive the service free of charge.

Existing users in Kristiansund do not need to take any action. Their alarms will continue to work as before; only the municipality’s billing has stopped.