Private insurance

[sunmoonstarsx]

Thank you for all help!

[Mook]

I suppose the first point is that if you're working you typically don't need it. All empoyers must provide private healthcare. Also, if your covered by Kela, you can usually get seen on the same day by the public doctor.

So, if you're getting it it's for the children (since in Finland both parents must work..)

Baby insurance costs around 100 Euro's a year and seems quite popular since all Finnish babies seem to get ear infections. (or so the scaremongering goes)

So, you:
- buy insurance
- choose a healthcare provider
- go there. get treated. Pay them!
- When your treatment is finished you submit the bill to your insurance company

I s'pose the most popular healthcare providers are: mehilainen (they have the Ruusula childrens clinic), Lääkörikeskus and Diacor. The most popular insurance companies are Tapiola, Pohjola, IF

So, the ony way to rate the "private health insurance companies" is if they pay your bills or not.

[CH]

All empoyers must provide private healthcare.

??? No they don't. They have to provide "Työterveyshuolto", which normally for an employee only means that you have to go to a health check when you start at a new workplace. But several employers, my own included, does provide private healthcare although it is usually limited to basic healthcare. But it is definitely not mandatory to do so. (http://www.tyoturva.fi/tyoturvallisuus/ ... yoterveys/)

Some insurance companies require that children not born in Finland have to be a certain amount of time in the Finnish health system to get health insurance for them, but I don't remember which ones and for how long. And I don't know how it works for adults. You can get an insurance where you get an insurance card that you can use to pay (in other words, you don't have to pay at all), but this costs more. Some have also restrictions on how much they pay per "illness" per year. Also, check out how much is your "omavastuu" (the amount you have to pay before they start paying. Most (all?) don't pay for pre-existing conditions, but some check it beforehand and put restrictions on you insurance right away where others check it when you file for an insurance claim.