Healthcare system in Finland

The Finnish healthcare system is based on public healthcare services to which everyone permanently residing in the country is entitled. In addition, every person has the right to receive emergency treatment during their stay in Finland.

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According to the Constitution of Finland, the public authorities must guarantee for everyone adequate social, health and medical services. In addition, numerous private healthcare service providers operate in Finland.

Public healthcare

In Finland, the wellbeing services counties, the City of Helsinki and HUS Group are responsible for the provision of healthcare.

A wellbeing services county can provide the services by itself or in collaboration with other wellbeing services counties. Services can also be procured from private companies and organisations or by providing customers with service vouchers. If necessary, the wellbeing services counties can also procure treatment from abroad.

The health services that the wellbeing services county must provide are laid down separately in the relevant act. Nonetheless, the wellbeing services counties can decide how they provide services within the limits of legislation. For this reason, there may be regional differences in services.

Healthcare services are divided into primary healthcare and specialised medical care

Primary healthcare services are mainly provided at health and social services centres and specialised medical care usually at hospitals. The treatment of some demanding and rare diseases and demanding treatment procedures have been centralised nationally in one hospital.

The treatment of a patient is provided in either primary healthcare or specialised medical care depending on the level of care they require. The doctor assesses the need for treatment and, if necessary, refers the patient to specialised medical care.

Patients cannot choose themselves whether the treatment is provided in basic or specialised medical care. Patients can, however, choose the health centre responsible for their treatment and choose together with the referring doctor the unit providing specialised medical care.

Read about choosing a place of treatment (Suomi.fi)

Private healthcare

Private social and health services complement public services, providing more than a quarter of all social and health services in Finland. Private service providers, i.e. companies, independent practitioners, organisations and foundations, may sell their services to the wellbeing services counties or directly to clients.

Private healthcare companies must have a licence from the authorities for their operations. The licence is issued by the Regional State Administrative Agency or the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).

You can check the licences of healthcare companies in the Soteri register.

What does treatment in private healthcare cost?

Doctors in private healthcare commonly work as self-employed persons and decide on their prices themselves. General practitioners usually charge lower fees than specialists.

Doctors’ fees are usually based on the time that a doctor takes to treat a patient, review the patient documents, write the epicrisis and review the examination results.

You can claim for reimbursement for the costs of private healthcare from Kela.

Organisations

There are numerous organisations in Finland that can act as service providers to the wellbeing services counties and directly to the public. Their services supplement the public healthcare. The aim of many organisations is to, for example, promote public health or support patients in coping with their disease. The organisations can, for example, provide peer support. The activities of the organisations are not profit driven and are often based on voluntary work.

The umbrella organisation for social and health sector non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Finland is SOSTE.

Healthcare professionals

Healthcare professionals in Finland are divided into licensed professionals and professionals with a protected occupational title.

The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) maintains the JulkiTerhikki register of all licensed professionals and professionals with a protected occupational in the healthcare sector. You can check the professional qualifications of the person who treated you.

The authority must notify the authorities of other EU countries if the operations of a healthcare professional are limited or prohibited.

Steering of healthcare

In Finland, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM) is responsible for social and health policy and prepares legislation. The ministry steers healthcare in collaboration with the agencies and institutions under it.

Agencies under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health include

the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK)
the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (TTL)
the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).