Fees

The fees for social services can be found in the service descriptions.
 

Patient fees

Table of fees: in RTF format | in PDF format

Patient fees are determined in accordance with the Act and Decree on Client Fees for Social Welfare and Health Care. These regulations specify:

• certain health services free of charge
• services for which fees can be charged
• the maximum amount of patient fees to be charged

The municipality decides independently if a fee is charged for a certain service or not, and if it is charged, whether it will be the maximum fee allowed. The decisions on the patient fees are made by the Health Committee in accordance with the instructions given separately by the City Board if needed. The City Council decides on the introduction or elimination of a health care patient fee which is important financially or in principle.

Except for the health centre fee, Helsinki currently charges a fee for all those health services deemed chargeable under the Act and Decree. The maximum fees are applied.

An outpatient clinic fee is not charged at the Outpatient Clinic for Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

The patient fees are either fixed or means tested. 

• Fixed-rate fees are those charged at the same rate to all patients (such as outpatient clinic fees). These fees can be reduced or removed based on the grounds specified in the Act on Client Fees on application from the patient.
  
• The means tested fees vary from patient to patient, and are based on the total combined regular income of the patient, or patient and his or her spouse, after certain deductions have been made. The patient’s ability to pay determines the fees for long-term institutional care and continuous home nursing.

The real costs incurred by medical care in both hospitals and at local health stations are much higher than the fees charged to the patients. Most of the medical care expenses are covered by tax revenues.

Visits to the doctor’s office are free of charge to all citizens of Helsinki (other patients are charged a health centre fee of  € 16.40. The penalty fee for an uncancelled visit is € 40.30, charged from patients over the age of 15).

Outpatient clinic fee is € 32.70 and the hospital day fee is € 38.80. War veterans or war invalids or those treated in the psychiatry unit or substance abuse care unit are not charged for the outpatient clinic fee.

A fee for a treatment series is € 9 per session. The fee is charged for a maximum of 45 sessions per calendar year. A maximum fee of € 48.50 is charged for a doctor’s certificate or medical statement, depending on the type of the certificate or statement.

If it is necessary for medical reasons that the patient is in hospital or other health care unit only during the day or night, the fee for day and night care is € 17.90 per 24 hours.
 
Under 18-year-olds are charged for seven days hospital care in a calendar year, after which the treatment is free. Under 18-year-olds are also charged the outpatient clinic fee, except in a psychiatry outpatient clinic. A treatment series is free to under 18-year-olds.

Additional information about patient fees is available from the health care units.