Costs of assistive devices of health care services in Finland and abroad

Assistive device services are provided free of charge to the municipal residents. Abroad, you can receive an assistive device if you suddenly become ill. A fee is usually charged for assistive device services abroad.


In Finland, the wellbeing services counties are most often responsible for handing over assistive devices to the residents of the municipality. Kela, the insurance institutions and employment pension institutes, employment services and the State Treasury will cover the costs of assistive device services for which they are responsible. In Finland, assistive device services are usually provided free of charge.

Assistive device services within public health care are provided free of charge to the municipal residents. Moreover, you are generally not responsible for the costs of the assistive device or its maintenance, repair or replacement. If the need for an assistive device has arisen from an occupational accident, occupational disease, military injury, traffic accident or patient injury, a client fee can be charged for an assistive device for medical rehabilitation and for its fitting, replacement and maintenance.

Costs of assistive devices abroad

In foreign countries, you are usually responsible for all costs related to the assistive device or its use. The practices for the delivery of assistive devices vary by country. Kela will not reimburse the costs of assistive devices to the client.

If you receive treatment in another EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or in Switzerland with the European Health Insurance Card, you may receive access to the necessary assistive device as part of your treatment. In this case, you will generally not be liable for the costs of the assistive device; they will be invoiced as part of your costs of treatment.

Kela or public health care will not cover the costs incurred by an assistive device or its acquisition, use, maintenance or repair abroad.