Concerns rise over funding for private doctor visits for seniors in Finland

Concerns are emerging regarding the sufficiency of funding for a pilot program aimed at facilitating private doctor visits for individuals over 65 in Finland, as noted by researcher Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The government has recently announced plans to discontinue the increase of Kela reimbursements, which were set to rise from €30 to €50 but have now been scrapped.

Instead, the initiative will allow those aged over 65 to access private general practitioner services at the cost of public healthcare client fees, with an expected standard co-payment of approximately €28 starting next year. The government has allocated around €500 million for private healthcare reimbursements, with direct state funding amounting to €335 million.

Tynkkynen expressed her worry about whether these funds will be sufficient, especially if all individuals over 65 utilize the new services. She questioned the long-term financing of such a program, emphasizing that isolated solutions might be problematic without provisions for sustainability. Furthermore, she raised the need to seek systemic solutions that would ensure universal access to healthcare services, rather than merely alleviating pressure on the public sector.

Essi Rentola, head of the benefits unit at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, defended the pilot project, describing it as a progressive solution. She highlighted that it is not a standalone initiative but is linked to an ongoing trial related to a personal doctor model aimed at assessing Kela reimbursement utilization. Rentola asserted that the program’s impacts would be monitored and evaluated, with a focus on integrating it into the broader healthcare framework.

The discourse surrounding Kela reimbursements will continue on Saturday, featuring Kela’s director general, Outi Antila, in an interview scheduled for broadcast at 10:05 AM on Yle TV1, Yle Radio 1, and Yle Areena.