Defining the principles for service choices in healthcare and social welfare

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing regulation on service choices in both healthcare and social welfare. 

The regulation will define the principles according to which services and methods are included in or excluded from the service choices in healthcare and social welfare.

The service choices in healthcare and social welfare refer to healthcare and social welfare services financed from public funds. In healthcare, the service choices apply to both public healthcare and private healthcare, which is eligible for reimbursement from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).

Laying down provisions on the principles for defining the service choices is part of the Government Programme and the national service reform that renews the contents of healthcare and social welfare services to correspond to the current structures of healthcare and social welfare.

The draft government proposal on the service choices in healthcare and social welfare is to be circulated for comments in autumn 2025. The Act would enter into force in 2027.

Defining the service choices in healthcare is based on several studies

Several studies have already been conducted to examine how the legislative basis for the service choices in healthcare could be developed.

A report published by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in 2020 states that it is necessary to specify the legislative framework in order to ensure that the principles for including services and methods in the service choices are clear and that cost management is possible. 

Opportunities for the better targeting of healthcare were examined in, for example, a publication of the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities in 2022. 

Read more about the service choices in healthcare:

Recent reports and studies on the service choices in social welfare

The social welfare sector needs to harmonise the contents of the methods, practices and forms of work relating to the services by using recommendations based on research data. 

In 2024, two reports on the development of social welfare were published, with a focus on the staggering of social welfare and the content-related guidance of social welfare: 

Extensive cooperation with stakeholders and consultations are essential

Stakeholders have the opportunity to take part in the law drafting process. More information about participation is available here:

An information session for stakeholders was held on 29 October 2024 to tell them about their opportunities for participation.

The first referral debate on law drafting concerning the principles for the service choices was held on 19 August 2024. 

Other events have included:

Inquiries

Sirkku Pikkujämsä, Senior Ministerial Adviser (service choices in healthcare), tel. +358 295 163 014
Virva Juurikkala, Senior Ministerial Adviser (services choices in social welfare), tel. +358 295 163 204
Ida Hakanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 163 173 (principles for service choices)
Leini Sinervo, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 163 445 (principles for service choices)

The email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@gov.fi

Updated: 3.3.2025 15.03