Finnish government healthcare user fee hikes criticized by HUS CEO Matti Bergendahl

Proposed increases in healthcare user fees by the Finnish government will not provide significant relief to the healthcare sector, according to Matti Bergendahl, CEO of HUS (Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District). Bergendahl asserts that the increases will effectively shift the financial burden increasingly onto patients.

The draft proposal from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health indicates that basic healthcare fees will rise by more than 20% at the beginning of next year, with specialized healthcare fees increasing by 45%. The government’s objective with these measures is to achieve savings, while the Ministry claims the fee hikes could generate an additional annual revenue of approximately €150 million for welfare areas. However, Bergendahl maintains that this increase has already been deducted from the state funding allocated to these welfare regions for the upcoming year.

The most significant proposed increase, 45%, would impact specialized healthcare, raising the current outpatient clinic fee of €46 to approximately €67. All HUS health services would be subject to this fee increase. Bergendahl notes that fee reductions are possible for patients receiving guaranteed pensions or those under court debt reorganization.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will decide on the fee increases. HUS has submitted its feedback to the ministry, warning that the proposed fees are excessively high. Bergendahl warns that such increases could exacerbate the financial difficulties and credit issues of patients, emphasizing that nearly 50% increases are substantial and deserve further consideration by the ministry.

According to Jussi Tervola, research director at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the usage of healthcare services, particularly in the public sector, is closely linked to socioeconomic status, meaning that these fee hikes will disproportionately affect low-income groups, retirees, and the unemployed.