Department for Insurance and Social Security

The Department for Insurance and Social Security directs and steers insurance policy and is responsible for drafting social insurance and other insurance legislation.

The Department handles issues that pertain to

  • the Social Insurance Institution, earnings-related pension providers, insurance companies and other insurance institutions
  • the Finnish Centre for Pensions
  • the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution
  • the Seafarer’s Pension Fund
  • the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre
  • the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre
  • the Employment Fund
  • Appeal Boards
  • the Traffic Accident and Patient Injuries Board

Performance guidance

The Department for Insurance and Social Security is responsible for the performance guidance of the Social Security Appeal Board.

Units and personnel of the Department

The Department for Insurance and Social Security is headed by Liisa Siika-aho. The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board operates in conjunction with the Department.

The Department’s units and responsibilities

Unit for Planning and International Social Security

  • is responsible for the Department’s strategic planning and prepares matters pertaining to the planning of operations and finances and to financial administration
  • monitors and analyses insurance activities and conducts financial studies pertaining to the sector
  • is responsible for the Department’s personnel administration and general administration.
  • handles and manages both social security agreements based on EU law and bilateral social security agreements, as well as other international social security affairs falling within the Department’s sphere of responsibility.
  • coordinates the management of international affairs that are the responsibility of the Department’s other units

Director Henna Huhtamäki

Benefits Unit

  • handles issues that concern unemployment benefits and education benefits during unemployment, adult education allowance, job alternation compensation, maternity, paternity and parent’s allowance, sickness allowance, health insurance reimbursements, the system of reimbursement for medicine expenses, rehabilitation provided by the Social Insurance Institution and economic security for the rehabilitation period, child maintenance allowance, maternity grant, child benefit, child care and private day care allowance, housing allowance for pensioners, general housing allowance, disability benefits and conscript’s allowance
  • handles the Social Insurance Institution’s affairs
  • the Unit is also responsible for affairs pertaining to agricultural entrepreneurs’ sickness allowance
  • manages the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board’s administrative issues
  • handles international affairs within the sphere of its responsibilities in collaboration with the Coordination Unit

Director Essi Rentola

Unit for Pensions and Private Insurance

  • deals with earnings-related pensions; national pensions; guarantee pensions; matters related to occupational accidents and occupational diseases; group life insurances, and athletes’ social security
  • deals with the statutory motor liability insurance and the insurance against treatment injury
  • handles issues pertaining to insurance contributions towards and the payment criteria for the statutory earnings-related pension insurance
  • handles legislative issues related to the Social Security Appeal Board, the Employee Pensions Appeal Board, the Accident Appeal Board, the Traffic Accidents and Patient Injuries Board, the Finnish Centre for Pensions, the Finnish Workers’ Compensation Centre, the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre, the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre, and the Employment Accident Compensation Board; and matters related to the Actuaries’ Examination Board and to the Insurance Broker’s Exam
  • deals with legislation pertaining to life insurance and non-life insurance companies
  • handles other issues that concern the operation of the insurance market
  • handles international affairs within the sphere of its responsibilities, except for EU legislation on social security systems and social security agreements.

Director Jaana Rissanen

Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board

Operating in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board is an independent authority whose task is to confirm what medicinal products are included in the medicine reimbursement system of health insurance, their reimbursement categories and their reasonable wholesale prices. 

In addition, the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board is responsible for decision making associated with the reference price system.

Director Reima Palonen

Website of Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board