The Choosehealthcare.fi website marks its second launch anniversary

The choosehealthcare.fi website will celebrate its second anniversary on 30 September 2017. At launch, it was the first online service accessible nationwide to offer comprehensive information about patients’ right to choose their healthcare provider in Finland and about access to health services outside Finland. The site was created by the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kela, and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

It offers information to individual users, health care professionals and government officials about the rights and ways for patients to access health services in Finland and abroad. There is also information about health care fees, treatment costs and reimbursements. The site focuses on such topics as the availability of health services in more than 50 countries in situations where someone requires emergency medical attention or seeks treatment in another country. The site also allows users to compare the prices of private healthcare providers. A dedicated section for healthcare professionals contains information on topics including the treatment of foreign patients, how to claim reimbursement for treatment costs, state reimbursements, and procedures for referring patients to treatment outside Finland.

The website was first launched in Finnish and Swedish (www.vardenhetsval.fi), followed by an English-language version at the end of 2015 (www.choosehealthcare.fi). A version in the Sámi language (saame.hoitopaikanvalinta.fi) was completed in November 2016. Most recently, versions in Finnish and Finland-Swedish sign language were made available in February 2017.

Development of the choosehealthcare.fi website continues. This autumn, the site will be overhauled with the help of the media consultancy firm Frantic to make it more user friendly. Tell us what you think about the website and give us feedback.

Take part in our anniversary competition #matkallemukaan

The choosehealthcare.fi website offers useful information to help you plan and enjoy your trip abroad. What are some of the things you never leave home without? What do you do to keep the trip fun and yourself healthy? Is there something that accompanies you on all of your trips?

Share a picture on Instagram or Twitter under the hashtags #matkallemukaan and #choosehealthcare depicting something you never leave home without that keeps you healthy on your travels. Share your picture by 15 October and you could win a prize that you can take along on your next trip.