Soite plans appeal to keep care cost data secret

Central Ostrobothnia’s Soite wellbeing services county plans to ask Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court for permission to appeal a ruling requiring it to disclose detailed costs for older people’s round-the-clock supported housing, Yle reports.

The case is seen as a precedent affecting all wellbeing services counties. The Vaasa Administrative Court ruled that the cost information is public and cannot be withheld. Soite’s regional board is due to consider the matter on Monday, with a proposal to seek leave to appeal.

Soite argues that releasing the figures could undermine its ability to secure services at competitive prices. It says bidders could use the information, together with service volumes, to calculate the county’s own unit costs.

The private care companies’ association Hali has called for the figures to be made public so that costs can be compared and care standards discussed on the basis of facts. It sought the information from wellbeing services counties and received it from only three this year. Soite was among those that refused.

The dispute centres on whether the information can be withheld under a provision of Finland’s Act on the Openness of Government Activities covering business secrets. The provision allows information to be kept secret if its disclosure would weaken the chances of making cost-effective procurements. The administrative court said the requested statements did not include individual revenue or expense items, or directly show how those items were made up.