Kela-korvaus in 🇫🇮 What it is and how it helps?

2025-07-04 09:25 Healthcare Guides

Kela-korvaus refers to reimbursements provided by Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) for costs like prescription medications, private healthcare, and medical rehabilitation. These benefits are part of Finland’s universal social security system, designed to support everyone fairly.

💡Medication compensation (Lääkekorvaukset)

➛ Who can get it?

You cover the first €70 of prescription medicine costs each calendar year. After that, Kela starts reimbursing eligible expenses.

➛ How much is covered?

It depends on the medicine and your situation:

📎 Basic compensation (peruskorvaus): 40% of the price

📎 Lower special compensation (alempi erityiskorvaus): 65%

📎 Upper special compensation (ylempi erityiskorvaus): 100%, minus a small €4.50 co-payment per purchase

➛ Medicine cap (lääkekatto):

Once your yearly out-of-pocket costs hit €633.17 (in 2025), Kela covers 100% of eligible medication costs. After that, you’ll just pay a flat €2.50 per purchase.

➛ Reimbursement is automatic

In most pharmacies, compensation is deducted automatically at the checkout (suorakorvaus), so you don’t need to file a claim yourself.

➛ Special medicines & fertility drugs

To get special compensation, your doctor must submit a “B-statement” to Kela, confirming your eligibility.

Starting May 1, 2025, fertility medications can also be reimbursed if you're under 43 and meet medical criteria.

💡Private healthcare reimbursements

Kela helps cover part of the cost for private healthcare — including doctor’s visits, telemedicine, and dental care — when it relates to treating illness, pregnancy, or childbirth.

➛ How it works:

If your provider offers direct billing (PALSO), the Kela share is deducted right away. Otherwise, you can apply for reimbursement afterward through OmaKela.

➛ What’s new from May 1, 2025:

📎 Up to 4 physiotherapy sessions per year without a doctor’s referral (compensated at €15/session)

📎 Fertility treatments and diagnostics are now covered when performed by a specialist

💡Medical rehabilitation (lääkinnällinen kuntoutus)

For those under 65 with long-term health challenges, Kela offers support for demanding rehabilitation — including physiotherapy, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and more.

➛ What’s required:

You need a rehabilitation plan (kuntoutussuunnitelma) prepared by a public healthcare provider.

Rehab usually lasts at least one year. Group therapy may be phased out in 2025, but individual support will continue.

➛ How to apply:

📎 Talk to your doctor and get a rehab plan

📎 Fill in Kela’s rehab form (KU‑104 for demanding rehab, KU‑132 for discretionary rehab)

📎 Attach a doctor’s statement (B-statement)

📎 Submit everything via OmaKela or by mail

📎 Processing time: Typically 1–2 months

➛ Costs:

📎 Therapies are fully reimbursed — you don’t pay for the sessions themselves.

📎 You’ll only cover a small part of travel costs (with a deductible).

🔔 Friendly reminders

📎 Make sure your prescription clearly states that the medicine is for treating an illness, Kela doesn’t reimburse supplements or preventive meds.

📎 Track your spending on OmaKela to see how close you are to your deductible or yearly cap.

📎 Kela updates its rules and amounts regularly — it’s always a good idea to double-check on Kela website or through OmaKela.