Specific healthcare question

[VinylHog]

Nice to find a forum for Finland!

My question is a specific one about healthcare in Finland and which I cannot find an answer to when I searched. So I am hoping someone can give me the answer here.

I am considering moving to Finland. I am an EU citizen with an EU country passport. If I move to Finland, I will not be working or needing an income. I will come with a lump sum, with which I plan to buy a home or more than one home and live off the rest of my lump sum.
I may get a pension in the next 5-6 years but it is a state pension and I am not counting on it to give me enough money to live on.

My question is about getting healthcare when I am not working and not claiming any government benefits? What is available to me in my circumstances, to provide for my medical needs that I currently have, including medications and for any future ones?

I assume there is private health insurance. If so, I would appreciate some names or websites to look at, so I can understand what is offered and covered and the costs.
I am quite happy to use state healthcare if it is at least good (I read this is so in Finland) but I don't know if I would qualify.
Plus I would not be willing to undergo any kind of lengthy application procedure, needing to provide several documents and lots of information, to get this, if private healthcare is available.

I am not rich but I will be comfortable and in this part of my life, I wish to stay away from any avoidable complex entanglements, or bureaucracy, or complying with multiple demands.

Thank you for any replies.

[betelgeuse]

Nice to find a forum for Finland!

My question is a specific one about healthcare in Finland and which I cannot find an answer to when I searched. So I am hoping someone can give me the answer here.

I am considering moving to Finland. I am an EU citizen with an EU country passport. If I move to Finland, I will not be working or needing an income. I will come with a lump sum, with which I plan to buy a home or more than one home and live off the rest of my lump sum.
I may get a pension in the next 5-6 years but it is a state pension and I am not counting on it to give me enough money to live on.

My question is about getting healthcare when I am not working and not claiming any government benefits? What is available to me in my circumstances, to provide for my medical needs that I currently have, including medications and for any future ones?

Finland operates a residency based public health care system. As an EU citizen with sufficient resources you have the right of residence and as such the right to access the public health care system like everyone else.

I assume there is private health insurance. If so, I would appreciate some names or websites to look at, so I can understand what is offered and covered and the costs.

You can get private health insurance from companies like If, OP and LähiTapiola but they will not cover pre-existing conditions. It's also not all encompassing as many treatments are only available from the public system. The main benefit of private insurance is faster access.

I am quite happy to use state healthcare if it is at least good (I read this is so in Finland) but I don't know if I would qualify.
Plus I would not be willing to undergo any kind of lengthy application procedure, needing to provide several documents and lots of information, to get this, if private healthcare is available.

The right to use public healthcare comes automatically from having a municipality of residence in the population register. You will need to register separately to Kela for medicine reimbursements.

[VinylHog]

[ medicine reimbursements.

So medicines are paid for, in full, at the pharmacy and then you have to apply to get them refunded? And is the full cost of the medicines reimbursed or only part of the cost reimbursed?
How long does it typically take? for reimbursements?
Can I find out what the costs are for particular medicines online?

I have pre-existing conditions, so I would need medicines more or less straightway after moving to Finland,

[betelgeuse]

So medicines are paid for, in full, at the pharmacy and then you have to apply to get them refunded?

They will apply the reimbursement automatically at the pharmacy.

And is the full cost of the medicines reimbursed or only part of the cost reimbursed?

There's deductibles and copays.

https://www.kela.fi/medicine-expenses

Can I find out what the costs are for particular medicines online?

https://asiointi.kela.fi/laakekys_app/L ... n?kieli=en

[FinlandGirl]

I assume there is private health insurance. If so, I would appreciate some names or websites to look at, so I can understand what is offered and covered and the costs.

You can get private health insurance from companies like If, OP and LähiTapiola but they will not cover pre-existing conditions. It's also not all encompassing as many treatments are only available from the public system. The main benefit of private insurance is faster access.

In our underfunded public healthcare seeing a GP in public healthcare often takes a month, and for a specialist visit (if you even get the referral) you usually wait many months.

When faster access is needed, another option is to pay around 150 Euro (plus lab costs) for a doctor visit in private healthcare.
One can book directly at a specialist and might be able to get an appointment at the same day.

[betelgeuse]

.
When faster access is needed, another option is to pay around 150 Euro (plus lab costs) for a doctor visit in private healthcare.

Online chat is often a good alternative. For example, this service is 40€.

https://laakaritaskussa.fi/

[VinylHog]

In our underfunded public healthcare seeing a GP in public healthcare often takes a month, and for a specialist visit (if you even get the referral) you usually wait many months.

When faster access is needed, another option is to pay around 150 Euro (plus lab costs) for a doctor visit in private healthcare.
One can book directly at a specialist and might be able to get an appointment at the same day.

Thank you, This is helpful.

[betelgeuse]

In our underfunded public healthcare seeing a GP in public healthcare often takes a month, and for a specialist visit (if you even get the referral) you usually wait many months.

A month is an exception. Usually access is within a week: ” Tilastojen perusteella suomalaiset pääsevät hoitoon sitäkin nopeammin: viime vuonna valtaosa käynneistä tapahtui viikon sisällä yhteydenotosta.”

https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000011023514.html

[FinlandGirl]

In our underfunded public healthcare seeing a GP in public healthcare often takes a month, and for a specialist visit (if you even get the referral) you usually wait many months.

A month is an exception. Usually access is within a week: ” Tilastojen perusteella suomalaiset pääsevät hoitoon sitäkin nopeammin: viime vuonna valtaosa käynneistä tapahtui viikon sisällä yhteydenotosta.”

https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000011023514.html

In Helsinki 1 month is on the lower end for getting a non-urgent appointment in primary healthcare.

[betelgeuse]

In our underfunded public healthcare seeing a GP in public healthcare often takes a month, and for a specialist visit (if you even get the referral) you usually wait many months.

A month is an exception. Usually access is within a week: ” Tilastojen perusteella suomalaiset pääsevät hoitoon sitäkin nopeammin: viime vuonna valtaosa käynneistä tapahtui viikon sisällä yhteydenotosta.”

https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000011023514.html

In Helsinki 1 month is on the lower end for getting a non-urgent appointment in primary healthcare.

The THL statistics for Helsinki in the linked article disagree. Also the city itself says:

"More than half of our clients who need a doctor's assessment will be assessed at the doctor's office on the same day."

https://www.hel.fi/en/health-and-social ... tisfaction

So the options are that the official statistics are lying or that your individual perception does not match reality.

[FinlandGirl]

A month is an exception. Usually access is within a week: ” Tilastojen perusteella suomalaiset pääsevät hoitoon sitäkin nopeammin: viime vuonna valtaosa käynneistä tapahtui viikon sisällä yhteydenotosta.”

https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000011023514.html

In Helsinki 1 month is on the lower end for getting a non-urgent appointment in primary healthcare.

The THL statistics for Helsinki in the linked article disagree. Also the city itself says:

"More than half of our clients who need a doctor's assessment will be assessed at the doctor's office on the same day."

https://www.hel.fi/en/health-and-social ... tisfaction

So the options are that the official statistics are lying or that your individual perception does not match reality.

Prescription renewals submitted in Kanta are handled fast and need a doctor, are these more or less than half of all doctor's assessments?

[VinylHog]

I was not expecting the healthcare system to be as it has been described on this thread. To me, Scandinavian healthcare seems to be the envy of the world (among other things), so I am surprised to read that there are these issues.

Is this to do with a shortage of doctors, staff etc., and is what has been expressed here a longstanding set of issues or are they recent?

[betelgeuse]

Prescription renewals submitted in Kanta are handled fast and need a doctor, are these more or less than half of all doctor's assessments?

THL Hilmo has separate codes for prescription renewals.

https://sampo.thl.fi/pivot/prod/fi/avoh ... i_0=486013#

You can see from this data that 51% of people who are assessed to need doctor's care and visit on site, got their first visit within a month (from January 2025 data). The previous quote from city would include also, for example, follow ups.

I was not expecting the healthcare system to be as it has been described on this thread. To me, Scandinavian healthcare seems to be the envy of the world (among other things), so I am surprised to read that there are these issues.

Finland is not a Scandinavian country (only Nordic).

Is this to do with a shortage of doctors, staff etc., and is what has been expressed here a longstanding set of issues or are they recent?

10 percent of users cause most of the public healthcare expenses. Politicians were not able to prepare early for the population getting old.

"Eri tutkimusten mukaan 10 prosenttia joko palveluiden asiakkaista tai palvelun piirissä olevasta väestöstä aiheuttaa noin 70–80 prosenttia kuntien sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon kustannuksista."

https://www.vtv.fi/julkaisut/palveluja- ... huollossa/

[FinlandGirl]

Is this to do with a shortage of doctors, staff etc., and is what has been expressed here a longstanding set of issues or are they recent?

Healthcare in Finland is underfunded, and politicians want to cut money even further.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistic ... -_overview

Regarding healthcare expenses in relation to GDP Finland is in the middle of the EU, our healthcare is at a level with Spain.

Germany spends 3% of GDP more on healthcare, Finland would have to spend 10 billion Euro more per year for getting a German healthcare level.

[FinlandGirl]

You can see from this data that 51% of people who are assessed to need doctor's care and visit on site, got their first visit within a month (from January 2025 data).

1 month as median waiting time for a first visit matches my experience.