Diabetic International Student

[dianat]

Hello guys

I'm about to move to tampere, I'm diabetic type 1 and I use NPH and Regular and I'm about to get SwissCare insurance.
I want to know that does SwissCare cover my medications(insulin) or not? and if not is there any insurance for people with residence permit in Finland that cover medications like insulin?

Thanks

[Beep_Boop]

Those student insurance plans you get before coming to Finland are just for unexpected things, and they almost never cover regular medical costs.
Once in Finland, you'll have some form of student healthcare through the school's nurse who can refer you to a school-affiliated health centre where a nurse will check you and might refer you to a GP who will check you and might refer you to a specialized doctor. The process is quite lengthy, and you'll most likely have cover the costs of everything after the school nurse.

Up until that point, the costs will be bearable. However, once you need medication, that's when you're screwed. Coming as a student, you won't be eligible for Finnish healthcare insurance.

[betelgeuse]

Those student insurance plans you get before coming to Finland are just for unexpected things, and they almost never cover regular medical costs.

Once in Finland, you'll have some form of student healthcare through the school's nurse who can refer you to a school-affiliated health centre where a nurse will check you and might refer you to a GP who will check you and might refer you to a specialized doctor. The process is quite lengthy, and you'll most likely have cover the costs of everything after the school nurse.

Up until that point, the costs will be bearable. However, once you need medication, that's when you're screwed. Coming as a student, you won't be eligible for Finnish healthcare insurance.

What you mean with regular medication costs?

http://www.migri.fi/studying_in_finland ... /insurance

The student plans are required to cover both the doctors and medications: "You will need private insurance for your residence permit to cover your medical and drug expenses."

The problem is that all the student plans will be excluding pre-existing conditions because it doesn't make business sense to cover them.

I'm about to move to tampere, I'm diabetic type 1 and I use NPH and Regular and I'm about to get SwissCare insurance.
I want to know that does SwissCare cover my medications(insulin) or not? and if not is there any insurance for people with residence permit in Finland that cover medications like insulin?

Your question is easily answered by reading the terms of the policy.

http://www.swisscare.com/fileadmin/site ... SPISCP.pdf

General limits of cover includes: "d’) any pre-existing health condition, as defined in Section 1.3.9. Moreover, Evasan reserves
the right to reduce the amount of its benefits if the health condition of the insured person, even though not having pre-existed, bears heavy risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hyper- cholesterolemia, etc;"

[Beep_Boop]

What you mean with regular medication costs?

Like if you have chronic back pain and you have to regular visit the doctor and get prescription for pain killers, or if you need regular blood transfusion, or other cases like that.

[lovelyjet]

Swisscare used to cover chronic condition, but changed their plan to something much worse in Sep or Oct 2014. Understandable though, it is cheap...

[rinso]

I want to know that does SwissCare cover my medications(insulin) or not?

Only way to be sure is ask Swisscare. Whatever we say has no value if Swisscare decides different.

[betelgeuse]

What you mean with regular medication costs?

Like if you have chronic back pain and you have to regular visit the doctor and get prescription for pain killers, or if you need regular blood transfusion, or other cases like that.

Those must be covered by insurance for a student residence permit when the condition arises in Finland. I am not sure if people with pre-existing conditions just don't get a permit because they can't get insurance or if migri looks at the exclusions on a case by case basis. The latter could make sense (with increased means testing to cover the expenses) for conditions like diabetes.