Need details regd procedure of chirldbirth in Helsinki

pranavla · Post by **pranavla** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:08 pm

Hi Everyboosy,

I am an Indian citizen & have come on work permit to helsinki for a
year. I have a pregnant wife & we wish to give birth to a child here. We
are not sure of the procedure to get admission in the hospitals. Are we
applicable for the benefits provided by Finnish govt or do we need to go
for the treatment on our own expenses.
How can I find which hospitals are good & how to enroll for the same?I have the social security number but I can't get
KELA card to use the govt facilities & their hospitals as I am not permanent citizen.
Do I need to go for private hospitals on my own or I understand that I have to go to public hospitals in helsinki & have to pay on my own but what is the procedure for the same?

Can I get cashless facility for the hospital expenses from my insurance company?

Kindly guide.
Regards
Pranav

**Sponsor:**

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:08 am

You need to go to your local KELA office and ask these questions. They can give you the best answer.

You don't have to have permanent residence to get help. I think you really should go to either KELA or your local Social Welfare Office and ask them for help. They can make it all clear for you.

Even on the Kela website they have all the info in English, so read about it from there too.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 2:08 pm

KELA and your insurance company should be able to answer your questions, but a couple of points:

You don't need to be a citizen or permanent resident to get a KELA card. One year residence permit should be enough. Did you try to get one but it was denied or do you just believe you can't get one?

For your wife hospital bills, it is though she who needs to have a KELA card. Did she arrive in Finland with you?

If your wife does not have have the Finnish social security coverage, the typical cost of childbirth in Helsinki would be around 2000-3500 euros (upper range should cover a fairly uncomplicated cesarean section). As far as I know there is no private option in Helsinki. What is covered by any private insurance you or your wife may have depends of course completely on the conditions of that policy.

pranavla · Post by **pranavla** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:37 pm

Thanks for the information.

I checked up with Kela & they told that I can get Kela card but my wife can't as she is not working here,therefore myself getting a kela card won't be any help to us.

I went to public & private hospitals & got information that I can have child birth at public hospital with own expenses & the claim with the insurance.

I was informed that I cannot avail Neovala as it is not for foreigners. I have to follow some different path guided by hospitals.

I am still not sure which is good hospital to get admission & what is the procedure as I won't be guided by Neovala.

Can I avail the cashless facility provided by the insurance so that I don't need tp pay drectly at hospital?

Will I have problem regd birth certificate once I return to my country? I will get a indian passport issued from embassy in Helsinki on proof of birth but I am doubting if in future the baby faces problems like reissue of birth certificate etc in the home country....then we can't have it from helsinki...do any body see any similar risk in future?

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:03 pm

Are you on some kind of working visa? Is that why your wife can't have a KELA card? I find it odd she can have a social security number, but not a KELA card? But what do I know? Not much LOL.

If Neuvola won't help you, you have to go through a private medical practise then.

Try to ring up Naistenklinik (spelling?). It's near downtown Helsinki. You can give birth there. Then there's the midwife school that many women give birth in http://www.hus.fi/default.asp?path=1,32,660,546,960 It's Kattilöopisto. Very popular for women giving birth. Then there's also Jorvi hospital. My friends have had their babies there and have had no problems. I had my baby at Kättilöopisto, it's a good place too.

I think you should call those hospitals, or go to a private medical practise and ask what to do. My Indian friend had to go private for her care because she hadn't been in Finland long enough, but she then gave birth at Naistenklinik. There's no private birthing hospitals here I believe. You just have to go pubilc like everyone else.

Goodluck.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:32 pm

I checked up with Kela & they told that I can get Kela card but my wife can't as she is not working here,therefore myself getting a kela card won't be any help to us.

I guess they should know, though I find this part bit strange. Is her residence permit for a shorter time than yours? What is the official basis for her permit? Being your family member?

Anyway there are some (relatively minor) benefits I think you should be able to get if you get a KELA card for yourself: 100€/month (tax free) starting from the month after birth while you stay in Finland as "Family Allowance" ("lapsilisä" in Finnish), and possibility to have paternity leave benefit (= partial monetary compensation from KELA if you decide to take some days (maximum three weeks) of (unpaid) leave from work at the time of the birth).

Routine nurse checkups can be had for at least here: http://www.yksityinenaitiysneuvola.fi/en_GB . The nurse can also give you some other practical information about contacting hospitals etc. Doctor check-ups during pregnancy can be arranged in several private clinics.

At the hospital where you decide to go for the actual childbirth, they expect your wife to visit a doctor doctor there (I think) 3-4 weeks before the due date and they also arrange little guided tour of facility around that time (or somewhat earlier). Normally in Helsinki they want to have a payment of 3500 € on their account before the first visit (if the mother is not KELA insured). You can of course ask if they accept a private insurance certificate instead.

There is information (in English) on this Russian (but please get the bank account information directly from hospital. The email address given is a valid one):
http://www.forum.littleone.ru/showthread.php?t=73422

Our own experience is from "Naistenklinikka". We were satisfied, but so I understand is the great majority of patients in other hospitals as well. If you any special requests, it may worth while think about them in advance. There can be differences in finer details of service what is offered in different hospitals.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:55 pm

pranavla wrote:Will I have problem regd birth certificate once I return to my country? I will get a indian passport issued from embassy in Helsinki on proof of birth but I am doubting if in future the baby faces problems like reissue of birth certificate etc in the home country....then we can't have it from helsinki...do any body see any similar risk in future?

Birth certificate's aren't in common usage in Finland, though they were able to write us one (also to (possibly) to get a non-Finnish passport in future) - they actually asked if we wanted one as my wife is a foreigner. It's not very fancy looking paper though. One would think your embassy here would know both Finnish and Indian systems well enough to give you good advice what kind of documents you should ask to have from Finnish authorities. A notary certified extract from the population registration system is probably useful to have.

pranavla · Post by **pranavla** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 6:53 pm

Hi Rip,

I am on work permit with my wife as my dependent & she will be here for the same period as me but as she is not working here,kela told that she cannot get the card. I can get Kela card as I am workng here but it will be not of much use to us.

Thanks for the links...now aqt least i know how much I need to pay in advance in hospital...I am not sure whether the hospital will agree to paid through insurance or not...that we need to check.

My still doubt is that as I am not channelised through Neovala to the hospital....how do I get registered to a hospital....Do I go directly to a hospital & tell them that we need to get registered for childbirth?

Is there is some procedure where hospital guides us about the facilities in hospital?

Regards
Pranav

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:29 pm

pranavla wrote:Hi Rip,
My still doubt is that as I am not channelised through Neovala to the hospital....how do I get registered to a hospital....Do I go directly to a hospital & tell them that we need to get registered for childbirth?

Is there is some procedure where hospital guides us about the facilities in hospital?

You can use the email address given in the Russian thread (sirpa.eronen(a)hus.fi) and check the payment details from her. If you need to make the payment yourself, I think the instruction will be to include your wife's name/ID number in the message field of the payment form. Hospital handles the payment and makes a note in their own book keeping that they expect to see your family there in near future.

After payment is settled you can then call the hospital and ask a time for a guided tour for your wife and you. The tour is in groups and last about an hour - they are arranged also in English. During it, you will also be given information on contacting and entering the hospital when the time comes. Otherwise you will be shown the ward and typical delivery room and explained about pain relief methods and other practical info related to child birth.

You'd also be advised to have a doctor checkup in your chosen hospital (I think) around week 36. Apart from checking that your wife & baby are OK the visit is also used by the hospital staff to check they have all the necessary information of you stored.

If you visit the nurse I suggested, she can send directly some of the basic medical information about your wife to the hospital. She would also instruct you to do the things I mentioned above.

bavarian-girl · Post by **bavarian-girl** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 8:58 pm

Congratulations to the baby on the way!

I was in a similar situation.
My husband had a time-limited work contract and I was not working.
I was not entitled to the usual KELA benefits and I did not have a KELA card, even though I had a social security number.
But there was no problem to go to the Neuvola and hospital regarding the birth.

I would go to the nearest Neuvola and ask personally. And/or go to KELA again.
I never (!!!) heared the the Neuvola is only for Finns. And I know a lot for foreigners who had a baby here.

When you have a seperate health insucrance apart for KELA, the typical procedure is that you pay at the end of a doctor's visit and hand in the bills. The insurance will then pay the amount to you.

I went to Naistenklinikka for the birth. Experience was very positive. They even have English tours for expecting couples.

You should request the so called "Certificate of live birth" right at the hospital. It is in English.
We did not have any trouble getting it.

Please send me a PM if there are any further questions.

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