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Health and social services The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health sets the guidelines for developing health and social services, drafts the relevant legislation and guides the implementation of reforms. Legislation » Legislation on social and h...

Social security reform Social security will be reformed during the ongoing parliamentary term through government projects and the work of the Social Security Committee. The aim of the social security reform is to make the social security system sm...

Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising health, social and rescue services Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising healthcare, social welfare and rescue services in Finland. There are 21 wellbeing serv...

18.2.2026 | According to a report by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the gap between wellbeing services counties’ operations and finances widened in 2025. This trend is also expected to continue in the coming years. The underlying reasons include population ageing, an increase in service needs and uneven regional migration.

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman The Finns Party Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman is responsible for all other matters covered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, ...

23.3.2026 | The sufficient Finnish or Swedish proficiency of professionals working in the healthcare and social welfare sector forms an essential part of patient safety and service quality. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is currently preparing measures to make it easier to ensure language proficiency, and to support employers in enhancing professionals’ language skills.

Secondary use of health and social data A separate law has be laid down on the secondary use of health and social data (Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data). The purpose of the Act is to facilitate the effective and safe processing ...

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9.4.2026 | The Government is proposing changes aimed at preventing intentional misuse of social security, reducing incorrect social security payments and improving information exchange with Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

Project on medicines and financial base of pharmacies The Government Programme includes numerous entries related to medicines and pharmacies. These entries will be implemented in a project titled ‘Medicines and the financial base of pharmacies’ in...

Communications Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health The Communications Unit is in charge of the internal and external information and communications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the related work with stakeholders. ...

16.4.2026 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Child Home Care Allowances and Private Childcare Allowances. The proposal would implement the Norwegian model for child home care allowance. The proposal seeks to promote the integration and labour market position of women with an immigrant background and to increase the participation of children in early childhood education and care.

The national health and wellbeing programme seeks to reduce the wellbeing deficit and disease burden caused by the principal chronic diseases and conditions and their risk factors, to boost working and functional capacity, and to minimise disparities between population groups due to issues of health and wellbeing.

Services for older people Shortly Wellbeing services counties organise health and social services for older people. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities have published a quality recomme...

Amended legislation on health checks for children and young adults Categories: Publication date: 22.12.2025 The timing and content of health checks at child health clinics and schools, and in student healthcare and oral healthcare will be regulate...

Services to families Services aimed at families support parents or other guardians in their efforts to ensure the well-being and good upbringing of children. Early childhood education and care Finnish early childhood education and care combines ed...

General social security benefit The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is preparing a general social security benefit. The benefit would include a basic allowance for living, an allowance for housing costs and a discretionary allowance as last-...

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

Provisions will be laid down on the principles according to which the inclusion of services and methods in the range of services and their removal will be implemented in public healthcare and social welfare. The possibility of enacting provisions on a national actor who can make a binding decision on the inclusion of the method in the range of public services will be investigated.

Healthcare and social welfare system and responsibilities Finland’s healthcare and social welfare system is founded on public healthcare and social welfare services funded from tax revenue. Alongside the public sector, private companies provide he...