Under the Finnish Health Care Act, you have the right to choose any public health station or hospital in Finland as your place of treatment in non-urgent situations.
Your primary health station is the health station in your residential area, but you can change health stations within Helsinki or choose a health station in another wellbeing services county. If you select a health station in another wellbeing services county, your choice will apply to all basic health care services, such as maternity and child health clinic services, dental care, rehabilitation services, distribution of self-care supplies, and short-term care at the health station hospital.
You can choose a specialised healthcare unit by discussing it with your doctor.
If you would like to change health stations within Helsinki, please contact the new health station you have chosen the next time you want to use the health station’s services. Verbal notification by phone or in person at the location will suffice.
If you would like to change maternity and child health clinics within Helsinki, please bring up the matter at the clinic or when making an appointment at the clinic you have chosen. Kindly inform us of your choice by completing the attached form. Additionally, you can use the same form to indicate your preference for a maternity and child health clinic nurse.
Fill in a form about your choice of maternity and child health clinic (pdf in Finnish)
You can also choose a health station that is located outside Helsinki. Your chosen wellbeing services county will also provide you with other primary healthcare services, such as maternity and child health clinic services, dental care, rehabilitation services, distribution of self-care supplies, and short-term treatment at a health centre hospital. Your choice will be valid for at least one year.
Please notify both your current and new health station of your choice in writing. For detailed instructions, visit the website of the wellbeing services county in which your chosen health station is located. After you have notified both health stations, it will take roughly three weeks before you will be able to use your new health station’s services.
If you live in a place other than Helsinki and would like to start going to a health station in Helsinki, please fill in and send the form below to both your current and new health station.
The selection includes all basic health care services, such as maternity and child health clinic services, dental care, rehabilitation services, distribution of self-care supplies, and short-term care at the health station hospital.
Your choice is valid for a minimum duration of one year.
Fill in a form about your choice of health station (pdf in Finnish)
If your doctor or dentist decides that you require examinations or treatment by specialised healthcare services, you and your doctor or dentist can decide together to which public hospital or outpatient clinic you will be referred.
The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) will reimburse your travel expenses based on the expenses that you would incur from a trip to the nearest university hospital.
The choice of a specialised healthcare unit only applies to non-urgent treatment. If you require urgent treatment, you can always go to your nearest emergency service point for treatment.
You are entitled to receive emergency care or treatment according to your care plan at a health station outside your home municipality. For example, this applies if you spend the summer at a cottage in another municipality.
You will pay the same fees as permanent residents of that municipality.
Do I need a voucher?
- No voucher is needed for emergency care or care provided according to your care plan.
- A voucher is required for other care outside your plan or in non-emergency situations. Alternatively, you can either transfer your care facility for the duration of your stay (see above under Changing to a health station located in another wellbeing services county) or continue to receive treatment in your home municipality.
In Åland, a voucher is also required for care under your care plan.
How do I get a voucher?
If you need a voucher, it will be issued by the medical director of health stations. To request one, fill in form Te-170 (Maksusitoumuspyyntö, in Finnish) and attach a document providing the necessary justification. Please note that long waiting times at your own health station or the distance between your home and holiday home are not accepted as valid justifications.
Fill in and print the voucher request form: Maksusitoumuspyyntö (Te-170, RTF, in Finnish)
Send the completed form to:
City of Helsinki
Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division
PO Box 6000
00099 City of Helsinki