Statistics provided by the Contact Point for Cross-Border Health Care in Finland and Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) include information on cross-border healthcare, European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), medical care costs incured abroad and their reimbursements, and prior authorisations for seeking treatment abroad.

1. Statistical information on cross-border
health care in Finland 2021
25 May 2021
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2. Table of contents
1. Medical costs incurred in EU and EEA countries, in the United Kingdom and in
Switzerland and their reimbursements
2. Top 5 countries: medical costs and their imbursements when seeking treatment
independently
3. Medical costs incurred outside EU and EEA countries, the United Kingdom and
Switzerland and their reimbursements
4. Top 5 countries: Medical costs incurred outside EU and EEA countries, the United
Kingdom and Switzerland and their reimbursements
5. Prior authorisation provided in Finland for treatment provided in an EU or EEA
country, in the United Kingdom or in Switzerland and information on the costs
6. Amounts Kela has invoiced EU and EEA countries, the United Kingdom and
Switzerland for treatment provided in Finland on the basis of prior authorisation (€)
7. State reimbursement for costs of treatment and urgent social services
8. Debts and receivables for medical costs between Finland and other EU and EEA
states, the United Kingdom and Switzerland
9. Numbers of European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) issued by Kela
10. Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare
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3. 1. Medical costs incurred in EU and EEA countries, in the United
Kingdom and in Switzerland and their reimbursements
Number of resolutions Costs € (paid by customer) Paid reimbursements €
2021 2020 2019 2021 2020 2019 2021 2020 2019
Physiotherapy 22 49 48 6,416 10,726 10,905 607 1,384 2,920
Dentist’s fees 1,892 3,384 4,177 895,175 1.603,897 1.773,334 90,935 162,110 203,948
Medicines 836 1,551 1,834 181,915 338,540 201,158 69,488 141,445 72,199
Doctor’s fees 807 1,274 1,540 366,983 441,021 492,396 35,097 54,139 68,684
Travel 633 801 908 416,572 256,088 351,869 184,749 144,126 154,204
Examination
and care
1,200 1,912 2,264 159,415 162,894 182,178 28,097 41,554 52,835
Necessary
treatment
3,352 3,863 4,300 4.272,381 3.822,141 3.070,039 3.241,913 3.042,497 2.411,940
• The costs mentioned in the table have been incurred from either.
• sudden illness, meaning that the need for treatment has occurred during a stay abroad; or
• seeking treatment independently, meaning that the customer has travelled abroad with the purpose of receiving
treatment and they do not have prior authorisation pursuant to EU regulations.
• The number of resolutions means the number of decisions given to customers. One resolution or decision may include
one or more procedures, examinations, treatments, medicines or travels. Kela does not keep statistics of the numbers
of people.
• The statistics are compiled according to the resolution date. Reimbursement must be sought within half a year of paying
the costs. Therefore, the treatment relating to the statistics may have been given the year before.
• More information at Kela website: Medical care abroad
Source: Kela
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4. 2. Top 5 countries: medical costs and their imbursements when
seeking treatment independently
Year 2021
Country Costs € Reimbursements €
1. Estonia 1.282,000 144,000
2. Germany 104,000 5,000
3. Spain 88,500 7,500
4. Cyprus 41,000 3,000
5. Belgium 37,000 5,000
Year 2020
Country Costs € Reimbursements €
1. Estonia 2.018,000 237,000
2. Spain 158,000 20,500
3. Hungary 127,500 4,000
4. Germany 66,000 7,000
5. Sweden 55,500 3,500
• The costs are the price charged to the customer abroad for which they have applied to Kela for reimbursement.
• Kela reimburses the costs of seeking treatment independently if the treatment has been provided in an EU or
EEA country or in Switzerland.
• Treatment costs are reimbursed in the same manner as treatment given in Finnish private health care.
• Medicine expenses are reimbursed in the same manner as medicines purchased in Finland.
• Travel costs are reimbursed in the same way as if the customer had travelled to the health care unit
closest to their home address where they would have received the necessary treatment.
• The statistics are compiled according to the resolution date. Reimbursement must be sought within half a year of
paying the costs. Therefore, the treatment relating to the statistics may have been given the year before.
• The majority of the reimbursements for health care costs are reimbursements for dental care provided in Estonia.
More detailed information on the treatment is not available.
• More information at Kela website: Seeking treatment abroad
Source: Kela
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5. 3. Medical costs incurred outside EU and EEA countries, the United
Kingdom and Switzerland and their reimbursements
Number of resolutions Costs € (paid by customer) Paid reimbursements €
2021 2020 2019 2021 2020 2019 2021 2020 2019
Physiotherapy 34 34 34 7,131 19,556 11,662 620 1,047 638
Dentist’s fees 43 38 48 28,235 34,583 23,749 2,494 1,883 2,113
Medicines 328 439 424 43,461 108,864 56,785 11,708 22,520 9,837
Doctor’s fees 661 1,045 1,078 600,233 686,948 689,658 48,378 59,155 65,628
Travel 28 44 63 290,235 30,263 125,283 0 430 0
Examination
and care
566 693 744 481,484 520,607 478,255 37,424 39,488 34,463
• The costs have been incurred from sudden illness and they are reimbursed in the same manner as
treatment given in Finnish private health care.
• Kela does not keep statistics of the numbers of people. The number of resolutions means the number
of decisions given to customers. One resolution or decision may include one or more procedures,
examinations, treatments, medicines or travels.
• The statistics are compiled according to the resolution date. Reimbursement must be sought within
half a year of paying the costs. Therefore, the treatment relating to the statistics may have been given
the year before.
• More information at Kela website: Medical care abroad
Source: Kela
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6. 4. Top 5 countries: Medical costs incurred outside EU and EEA
countries, the United Kingdom and Switzerland and their
reimbursements
Year 2021
Country Costs paid by
customer (€)
Reimbursements
(€)
1. Thailand 1.764,000 41,000
2. USA 912,000 9,000
3. Türkiye 346,000 12,000
4. Indonesia 280,000 3,000
5. Hong Kong 177,000 2,000
Year 2020
Country Costs paid by
customer (€)
Reimbursements
(€)
1. Thailand 1.446,000 59,000
2. USA 601,000 7,000
3. Türkiye 410,000 19,00
4. Peru 104,00 4,000
5. Egypt 73,000 2,000
Source: Kela
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7. 5. Prior authorisation provided in Finland for treatment provided in an
EU or EEA country, in the United Kingdom or in Switzerland
and information on the costs
Year Resolutions Granted Denied Not
processed
Amount paid by hospital districts for treatment
covered by the prior authorisation, €
2021 152 93 55 4 707,198
2020 111 74 34 3 816,657
2019 176 102 69 5 659,419
2018 215 103 104 8 468,966
2017 200 106 82 12 213,332
• Under certain conditions, Kela may grant prior authorisation for treatment in EU or EEA countries, the United
Kingdom or Switzerland. Kela grants prior authorisation according to the statement by public health care.
• When a patient receives treatment abroad on the basis of prior authorisation, the country providing the
treatment invoices Kela for the actual costs of treatment and collects a client fee from the patient. Kela pays
the costs and invoices them to public health care.
• The prices of treatment may vary considerably: a single treatment may cost between 100 and 100,000 euros.
Therefore, the amounts in euros depend on what treatment has been given each year.
• Prior authorisations have mainly been granted for the care of pregnancy, childbirth, eye disease and cancer.
Most prior authorisations have been granted for treatment in Estonia, followed by Sweden.
• The statistics on amounts paid by hospital districts refer to the year when public health care has paid Kela the
costs of treatment covered by the prior authorisation. The patient living in Finland has received the treatment
abroad earlier, possibly the preceding year.
• More information at Kela website: Seeking treatment abroad
Source: Kela
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8. 6. Amounts Kela has invoiced EU and EEA countries, the United
Kingdom and Switzerland for treatment provided in Finland on the basis
of prior authorisation (€)
Year Amount invoiced by Kela, €*
2021 81,318
2020 5,207
2019 195,009
2018 535,735
• Another EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or Switzerland may grant a patient prior
authorisation for treatment to be provided in Finland.
• If a customer has prior authorisation, they pay the client fee for treatment in Finnish public
health care.
Public health care invoices the actual treatment costs to Kela. Kela pays the costs and invoices
them to the state that granted the prior authorisation.
• There is no information on the numbers of patients that have come to Finland with prior
authorisation. Finland charges Latvia and Sweden the most on the basis of prior authorisation.
• The statistics are compiled according to the year when Kela has invoiced the costs of seeking
treatment in Finland from abroad. The treatment has been given to the patient from abroad
earlier, possibly the preceding year.
• More information at Kela website: Who pays for your care?
Source: Kela
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9. 7. State reimbursement for costs of treatment and urgent
social services
Year Number of invoices Reimbursements €
2021 37,405 25.80 million
2020 26,135 22.03 million
2019 25,644 20.63 million
2018 23,898 19.59 million
2017 27,663 21.04 million
• The purpose of state reimbursement is to compensate:
1) public healthcare for treatment costs when treatment has been given to persons who
• do not have a municipality of residence in Finland or who
• have a municipality of residence in Finland but whose medical care costs are
covered by another EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or Switzerland;
2) for costs of emergency social services to municipalities that have provided food, medicine
or emergency accommodation to a person who has received a negative asylum decision.
• Kela pays the state reimbursement four times a year on the basis of applications.
• More information at Kela website: Who pays for your care?
Source: Kela
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10. 8. Debts and receivables for medical costs between Finland and other
EU and EEA states, the United Kingdom and Switzerland
Year Number of
invoices sent by
Finland
Reimbursements
received, € million
Number of
invoices received
by Finland
Reimbursements
paid, € million
2021 12,154 6.0 M€ 28,167 13.2 M€
2020 9,835 6.6 M€ 25,111 24.6 M€
2019 10,690 9.5 M€ 40,192 24.3 M€
2018 9,934 10.1 M€ 35,685 18.1 M€
2017 8,831 4.8 M€ 30,754 8.9 M€
• The table shows the costs that EU and EEA states, the United Kingdom and Switzerland
charge for medical care given to people. The cost include
1) actual medical care costs and
2) flat-rate amounts (calculated costs).
• Reimbursements for treatment costs are paid directly between the states. The patient pays
the local client fee but not the actual treatment costs.
• The costs are invoiced at a different time to when the actual treatment is given. The patient
may have received the treatment several years earlier.
• More information at Kela website: Who pays for your care?
Source: Kela
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11. 9. Numbers of European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC)
issued by Kela
Year Number of European Health
Insurance Cards
2021 2.116,295
2020 2.104,361
2019 2.078,088
2018 1.977,781
2017 1.869,780
• Kela issues a European Health Insurance Card to people who have health insurance in Finland or
whose treatment costs are the responsibility of Finland.
• The card is applied for from Kela, and it is valid for two years at a time. If the justifications for
issuing the card are met, a new card is mailed automatically when it has been ordered once.
• With the card, a patient can receive necessary treatment in EU and ETA countries, in the United
Kingdom and in Switzerland during a temporary stay, for example, when travelling. For the
patient, the treatment costs the amount of the local client fee.
• More information at Kela website: European Health Insurance Card
Source: Kela
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12. 10. Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare in Finland
The Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare provides advice on using
health services in Finland and abroad. Each EU country has a contact point.
In Finland, the contact point is located within Kela.
The Contact Point provides service online and by e-mail:
• EUterveydenhoito.fi
• EU-hälsovård.fi
• EU-healthcare.fi
• EU-dearvvašvuođadikšun.fi
• EU-terveydenhoito.fi in Finnish sign language
• EU-hälsovård.fi in Finland-Swedish sign language
• Email: yhteyspiste(at)kela.fi
The Contact Point is also on:
• Twitter: @rajayhteyspiste
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rajayhteyspiste/
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