What’s new
Kela forms for emigrants and immigrants available online
25.9.2017
Kela has made all forms intended for private clients and partners available on its online service, divided by topic. One of the topics is Moving to or from Finland including, for example, the application form for entitlement to healthcare when moving from Finland. This application is used when you move to an EU/EEA country or […]
Patient and client safety strategy to harmonise the safety culture in health and social services
21.8.2017
The patient safety strategy has been revised into a patient and client safety strategy. Updated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the strategy will help to develop the Finnish healthcare and social welfare towards a cohesive safety culture. The first Finnish Patient Safety Strategy was prepared for the years 2009–2013. The new strategy […]
Shorter queues for non-urgent specialised medical care in spring 2017
14.8.2017
Waiting times for non-urgent specialised medical care have come down in Finland: compared with the situation at the end of December, the number of patients waiting for treatment for more than six months has decreased by 1,200 during the spring. Compared with the same period in 2016, the number of those who have been waiting […]
How to get treatment abroad and other questions about healthcare services
19.7.2017
In June, the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare asked people to describe their need for information about healthcare services as well as their experiences. The purpose of the survey was to find out about clients’ needs and wishes in order to develop the contact point’s communications and the Choosehealthcare.fi web service. A total of 96 […]
Almost 1,8 million Finns already have the European Health Insurance Card
13.7.2017
Kela has already provided almost 1,8 million Finns with the European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC. According to Kela’s statistics, the number of cards has risen steadily from the 1,2 million issued by 2012. All of those whose medical care costs Finland is responsible for are eligible for a . You can order the card […]
Use of health care services abroad and Kela reimbursement
7.7.2017
According to Kela’s statistics on Finns who have suddenly fallen ill or sought treatment independently outside Finland, medical costs incurred abroad and reimbursements paid retrospectively to the customers are slightly rising. The statistics only take into account those cases where the customers paid all the medical costs themselves and then applied for retroactive reimbursement from Kela. […]
Kela’s web pages about medical treatment in international situations have been updated with new information
30.6.2017
How can you use healthcare services abroad? Who pays for the treatment? Visit the updated Kela pages. An updated section on medical treatment in international situations is now available in Finnish, Swedish and English on Kela’s website at kela.fi. The updated pages are part of a broader project to redesign Kela’s website; earlier in June an […]
New Border Act progresses to Parliament
13.6.2017
The Government is proposing amendments to the Act on Cross-Border Health Care, also referred to as the Border Act, and the Health Insurance Act. The basic principle is that the costs of health services received abroad would be reimbursed only when the service is included in the health services offered in Finland. This would mean […]
Reimbursements under the health insurance scheme for dental care provided abroad: Estonia remains the most popular dental care destination
7.6.2017
EU legislation makes it possible for Finns to seek dental care in another EU or EEA country or in Switzerland. You can seek dental care either with a prior authorisation granted by Kela or independently. If you visit a dentist independently, you can apply for reimbursement from Kela on the same grounds as for dental […]
Persons without a municipality of residence have the right to use health care services by paying the client fee
2.6.2017
One of the special characteristics of our public service system has been the arrangement of health care services according to the place of residence. The services are local and provided to the residents of the municipality in question. Everyone covered by the Finnish health insurance is entitled to receive health care reimbursements. Foreigners without a […]