Treatment costs in private health care

The price of private health services is set by the service provider. Service providers must inform their clients on the prices of using their services.


In private health care, doctors’ fees are usually based on the average time that a doctor takes to treat a patient at their clinic and the related work performed before and after meeting with the client, such as reviewing the patient documents, writing the epicrisis and reviewing the examination results.

Doctors at private health care commonly work as self-employed persons and decide on their prices individually. General practitioners commonly charge lower fees than specialists.

A separate fee is usually charged for any statements or certificates, laboratory tests, X-ray examinations and procedures as well as the medicines, vaccines and supplies used. Any supplies used during treatment and assistive devices that are loaned to the patient are usually invoiced separately. These include bandages, crutches and limb supports, for example.

A private health care service provider can usually provide a precise cost estimate in advance for surgeries and demanding treatment procedures.

A fee is usually charged for separate telephone consultations. The price of a phone call related to a visit may also be included in the fee that is charged for the visit.

Private health care can invoice an appointment that has been reserved but not used.

Reimbursement for medical care

Reimbursements for private medical care are commonly referred to as Kela reimbursements. Most often, you will receive reimbursement at the medical or dental clinic by showing your Kela Card. If you have paid the full bill of a private health care service provider yourself, you can claim reimbursements from Kela.

Kela will provide reimbursement for the following costs of private medical care:

  • Doctor and dentist fees
  • Costs of examinations and treatment ordered by a doctor
  • Costs of prescribed medicines
  • Costs of travel related to the treatment of illness.

The reimbursement of fees, examinations and treatments is based on a reimbursement tariff that indicates the amount of reimbursement. Usually, your costs will exceed the reimbursement tariff.

Kela also reimburses treatment provided as a remote service. Remote service refers to medical services provided through a video link.