Choosing a hospital

Yes, you may choose your specialised medical care provider from any location in Finland. However, Kela will only reimburse travel expenses to the medical examination or treatment unit nearest to your permanent home address.

In specialised medical care, the responsibility for treatment is transferred to the chosen place of treatment only for the illness or treatment need indicated in the referral. If you need specialised medical care services more than once during the same year, you may choose your place of treatment separately each time and also change your place of treatment.

According to the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients, the aim must be to treat patients in mutual understanding, when selecting the provider of specialised medical care, for example. The attending doctor or dentist will determine your need for care and decide on whether or not to draw up a referral. You are always entitled to choose the hospital where you wish to be treated.

However, you may not seek treatment at a hospital if your illness can be treated in primary healthcare. You will also be unable to seek treatment at a university central hospital if your illness does not require that level of treatment. During the last few years, the division of work in specialised medical care has been reformed, and some treatments and procedures have been centralised to specific hospitals. You will be unable to register as a client at a hospital where the required examination or treatment is not available.

The doctor's role is to serve as your advisor in the questions related to the selection of your place of treatment. For example, they can provide information on whether the hospital you have selected provides the treatment in question and how long the current waiting list is. However, in selecting a place of treatment the patient's right to choose is the primary defining factor if the treatment can realistically be provided in the facility requested by the patient.

You can always seek treatment at a private hospital. In this case, however, you are responsible for the costs of your treatment, for which you can be reimbursed in accordance with the health insurance system.

In specialised medical care, the responsibility for treatment is transferred only in respect of the illness or treatment need indicated in the referral. When a treatment period is in progress, there are no grounds for referral to another hospital. 

The specialist doctor in charge of the treatment should examine the basis of the patient's wish thoroughly. They should also ensure that the possible causes of dissatisfaction are rectified. 

The patient's desire to be transferred to another treatment facility may of course be based on practical reasons that are not related to how he/she has been treated or the medical quality of the care. In this case, the most suitable treatment solution for the patient should be determined and implemented. 

Kela will reimburse your travel costs to the nearest medical examination or treatment unit. 

Few national figures are available on, for example, waiting lists and client satisfaction in connection with specialised medical care providers. Statistics on access to treatment are available on the websites of most hospitals.

The nationwide freedom of choice in healthcare does not apply to Åland. A person who resides on the Finnish mainland cannot choose to be treated in Åland. Correspondingly, a person living in Åland cannot choose public healthcare services that are located on the mainland.