health insurance

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biscayne
Posts: 632
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:43 pm

health insurance

Post by biscayne » Mon Mar 27, 2017 12:05 pm

This is really more about moving OUT of Finland, but I'm hoping some regulars might have experience with this specific situation and would be really grateful.

I've been here since Aug. 2015 as a (rather old) student and had/have student healthcare. My situation in Finland has not really worked out but I planned to stay until I finished my thesis and then leave. However, it is really not working for me so I have decided to leave now. I am going back to the country I previously lived in as I have a place to live there and can hang out there cheaply, finish the thesis and then go back to my home country. I cannot go back to my home country at the moment because my house there is rented out until September and rents are extortionate in my home city.

In order to register in Finland I had to de-register from where I was previously living so have no health care there anymore, I am not a citizen of that country and therefore no longer in the "system". As I have not lived in my home country for some years, I am also not registered there so not in their system for health either. At the moment I am legally and for tax purposes registered in Finland. So, 2 questions:

1. Does anyone know if having the student care also entitles you to the Finnish EU blue card which I could then apply for and use for emergencies while away. I am not going to de-register from Finland until I am back in my own country.

2. Does anyone have any specific experience with travel insurance for longer stays? I've been checking it on the internet, unsure what companies are reputable etc., but there seem to be companies which offer it for up to 12 months, and people do travel for extended periods, around the world sailors etc.

If anybody has any info, I would be really grateful.

All countries involved are EU.

thanks!



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tavastia
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:54 pm

Re: health insurance

Post by tavastia » Mon Mar 27, 2017 12:45 pm

1. EU blue card is a residence card not an insurance card. I believe you are thinking about this one: http://www.kela.fi/eurooppalainen-sairaanhoitokortti ? If you have Kela card you can ask for it and will be valid for 2 years or less if your Kela card has shorter validity.

User avatar
wolf80
Posts: 474
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:43 pm
Location: Helsinki

Re: health insurance

Post by wolf80 » Tue Mar 28, 2017 1:23 am

I don't know much about student health care, so I cannot advise much on that.

Otherwise, as soon as you make the notification to Maistraatti that you move abroad, no matter if temporary or for good, all the authorities including KELA will be notified of your address change. You will then get a letter from KELA telling you that your healthcare will be suspended within a month from your moving date, unless you give them a valid reason for your stay abroad (for example the TE office sent you there for jobseeking). For this you have to fill out a lengthy online form that is of course not available in English.

So, as long as you are provided with healthcare in Finland you should get all the emergency health coverage under the European health insurance card also in your home country and any other EU country.

It can also be that your home country will not include you in their healthcare if you still have valid healthcare from another EU country, so check with your local health insurance provider how you can get back into their coverage. If you stay in a third EU country you will have to check how to get health insurance there, or if you still have it from KELA long enough, or if you can get into the health insurance of your home country, or if you have to take private health insurance in the meantime.


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