Iceland

You can see a general practitioner by visiting a health clinic (heilsugæslustöð) during opening hours, usually Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Outside these hours, you can call or visit the emergency health clinic Læknavaktin in Reykjavik. The phone number for Læknavaktin is 1770 when calling from within Iceland. Doctors also make house calls, although these are subject to higher charges. Most areas in Iceland also have an on-call doctor and nurse service available outside office hours.

Patient contributions are lower for pensioners and other groups entitled to reduced fees, such as persons with disabilities. Patients under the age of 18 typically receive treatment free of charge. In addition, Iceland has a ceiling on medical costs to prevent them from becoming unreasonably high. More detailed information is available from Icelandic Health Insurance.

If you have followed all the required instructions but are still charged more than the patient contribution, you can apply for reimbursement based on receipts from teh head office of Icelandic Insurance in Reykjavik. After returning to Finland, you can also apply for reimbursement from Kela.

Adults are not eligible for reimbursement of dental (tannlæknir) expenses in Iceland and must pay for treatment themselves. However, persons under 18, over 66, as well as old-age and disability pensioners, may be partially reimbursed for the costs of dental care. You must first pay the full cost of dental treatment yourself. You can then apply for reimbursement from Icelandic Health Insurance by submitting receipts, proof of identity, and, if applicable, a pensioner ID. Alternatively, you can seek reimbursement from Kela after returning to Finland.

A separate emergency number for dental emergencies is 575 0505 (when calling from within Iceland).

When you collect medication prescribed by a doctor from a pharmacy (apótek), you must first pay the full cost yourself. You can then apply for reimbursement from Icelandic Health Insurance by submitting the receipt, your ID, and, if applicable, a pensioner ID. Alternatively, you can apply for reimbursement from Kela afterwards. In Iceland, prescriptions are valid for one year.

In general, hospital treatment is only available with a doctor´s referral. In emergencies, you may go directly to a hospital´s (sjúkrahús) emergency department. Show your ID to receive treatment at the patient contribution rate. In most cases, inpatient treatment is free of charge when you present your ID. A fee is only charged only for outpatient care. This fee is not reimbursed in Iceland, but you can apply for reimbursement from Kela after returning to Finland.

A fixed patient contribution also applies to ambulance transportation if you present your ID. This fee is likewise not reimbursed in Iceland, but you may apply for reimbursement from Kela after you return.

If you fall ill and need to return to Finland using a more expensive means means of transport (e.g. special transport) than you would normally use, you are entitled to receive reimbursement from Iceland. The reimbursement covers the additional cost caused by the more expensive method of travel. In other words, your travel costs will be the ame as if you had travelled under normal circumstances in good health.

To be eligible for reimbursement, you must have a medical certificate issued in Iceland stating that the use of a more expensive means of transport was medically necessary.

Remember to make sure that your patient data is transferred between countries. You can provide those responsible for your follow-up care or your health centre with the patient records concerning the treatment you received abroad. If the patient records need to be translated, you will be responsible for arranging that yourself.

In the event of a treatment injury, the legislation and patient insurance of the country where the treatment was provided will apply. If you are dissatisfied with the treatment you received, you should first try to resolve the matter directly with the treatment provider. If you wish to file a complaint, Icelandic Health Insurance can assist you in identifying the appropriate authority.

The healthcare system in Iceland is a small, state-centered, publicly funded system that provides universal coverage. The purchaser-provider relationship is integrated, meaning the state acts both as the payer and as the owner of most healthcare service providers.

In recent years, the system has become increasingly characterized by a mixed economy of care and service provision, with a growing number of both private non-profit and private for-profit providers.