Follow-up treatment for treatment received in Finland
If your follow-up treatment takes place abroad, ensure that information concerning your care is passed to the party responsible for your follow-up treatment. If your follow-up treatment takes place in Finland, it will adhere to the Finnish treatment practices.
Follow-up treatment may involve rehabilitation, follow-up inspections, laboratory tests or other types of medical follow-up. You can receive follow-up treatment in Finland in the same manner as any other treatment, if a doctor deems the treatment as necessary in view of the duration of your stay in Finland. However, you do not have to seek follow-up treatment in Finland for treatment provided in Finland, but you can also continue your treatment abroad.
If you continue your treatment abroad, deliver the medical records concerning your treatment to the party responsible for your follow-up treatment. In Finland, medical records are usually provided in Finnish or Swedish. If necessary, have them translated into other languages. If you receive follow-up treatment abroad, it will adhere to the treatment practices and legislation of the country in question.
Complications of treatment
Complications may mean that a patient requires more demanding treatment than was originally planned. Treatment in intensive care or new surgeries may be required, for example. Complications may extend the treatment time and increase treatment costs.
If you have travelled to Finland to seek treatment from an EU or EEA country or from Switzerland and there is a complication in the treatment, the treatment may be regarded as urgent medical care. In view of treatment costs, such follow-up treatment is seen as medically necessary treatment that is available by presenting the European Health Insurance Card in the same manner and for the same client fee as the residents of Finland.
Transfers between hospitals in Finland
The treatment provider may transfer you for treatment to another treatment facility in Finland. If you have come to Finland from abroad and have been registered as a patient in the public health care system, the hospital transfer is free of charge in the following cases:
- You are covered by health insurance in another EU or EEA country, United Kingdom, Switzerland or Australia and you require medically necessary treatment during your temporary stay in Finland.
- You live in another EU or EEA country, United Kingdom or Switzerland but Finland covers the costs of your medical treatment.
- You received treatment in Finland under a prior authorisation granted by your country of residence (form S2).
If you are not a registered patient in a hospital, you are liable to pay the costs of your transport. You can claim reimbursement retroactively from Kela or your own health insurance institution.