Visit the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare at the Matka 2018 travel fair

Experts from the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) will be available for consultation between 18 and 21 January 2018 at the Matka 2018 travel fair, stand 6p60. Visit our Barcelona-themed stand to get to know the Choosehealthcare.fi website, to ask about healthcare in international situations, or to place an order for a European Health Insurance Card.

Choosehealthcare.fi offers information about how to access health services in Finland and abroad. It provides answers to questions about healthcare in cross-border situations, including what to do in the event of a sudden illness while abroad and the possibility of travelling to another country for treatment. The website also addresses patients’ rights, discusses treatment costs and reimbursements, and explains how to buy medicines abroad.

“We have recently updated over 50 country summaries with healthcare-related information”, says Annamari Qvist, communications coordinator for the Contact Point. The country summaries contain lots of useful information for travellers about healthcare arrangements in various countries. They can be easily printed out and carried along on a trip. The website is mobile and tablet friendly. All content at choosehealthcare.fi is available in Finnish, Swedish, English and Northern Sámi. There is also information in Finnish and Finland-Swedish sign language.

European Health Insurance Card: Access to healthcare in case of sudden illness during foreign travel

It is a good idea to have your European Health Insurance Card with you when travelling abroad, because a sudden illness could otherwise be costly. Anyone travelling to another EU or EEA country or Switzerland who has a European Health Insurance Card can get necessary medical care from the public healthcare system. The card also provides access to treatment if a traveller needs immediate medical attention for a chronic condition or requires care because of pregnancy or childbirth. By showing your European Health Insurance Card, you get treatment at the same price as the local residents.

Kela issues European Health Insurance Cards to persons whose medical expenses are covered by Finland. During the Matka 2018 travel fair, you can order a European Health Insurance Card free of charge from our stand. The European Health Insurance Card can also be ordered online at Kela’s e-services or by calling 020 634 2650 (in English) between 8 am and 3 pm, Monday to Friday. To log in to Kela’s online customer service, use your online banking codes or mobile ID.

Activities aplenty throughout the fair

Visitors to our stand can participate in a drawing for prizes by answering the question of the day or by sharing a picture of themselves and our lizard mascot on Twitter or Instagram. Updates on the Matka 2018 travel fair will be posted on social media with the hashtags #Matka2018 and #hoitopaikanvalinta.