Reimbursements of medical expenses: Number of recipients and reimbursements paid out

NIT127A

Theme

Illness / Reimbursement of medical expenses

Data content

Part of the insured person's costs for private medical care services due to illness or pregnancy and delivery as well as of the travel expenses due to the illness and of the costs for medicines prescribed by a doctor are reimbursed from the National Health Insurance scheme. Items reimbursed as private medical care services are doctors', dentists' and dental hygienists' fees as well as costs for examination and treatment prescribed by a doctor.

The statistics on reimbursements of medical expenses includes

• Number of persons who have received reimbursements of medical expenses
• Number of copayments for reimbursed medicine purchases, visits to the doctor or dental care visits, examinations and treatments as well as number of journeys.

The number of visits to the doctor also includes the number of medical statements and renewals of prescriptions. As regards examinations and treatments the examinations and treatments prescribed by the doctor at the same time are considered as one copayment. A prescription for physical therapy is considered as one copayment.

• Amounts in euro of reimbursed medical care expenses and of the reimbursements paid for them
• Number of reimbursed prescriptions of the reimbursements for medicine expenses. A prescription means the batch of a certain medicinal product which is dispatched at the pharmacy at the one and the same time. A medicinal product which is prescribed for a year is usually registered in the statistics as several prescriptions, since the patient usually acquires the medicine every three months.
• Reimbursement percentages. The figure indicates the percentage of the medical care expenses for which reimbursement has been paid to the insured.
• Ratios of the euro amounts of costs and reimbursements per purchase/visit/journey.

Variables and classifications

• The benefit category variable describes the medical care service for which reimbursement for medical expenses has been paid. Medicines and corresponding products are included in the statistics according to the reimbursement percentage paid for them as medicines which entitle to basic reimbursement (the reimbursement percentage is 35) and medicines which entitle to special reimbursement (the reimbursement percentage is 65 or 100).
• Reference period. With the variable it is possible to choose the reference period: month, quarter or year.
• Time period. The variable states the period during which the reimbursements for medical expenses which the statistics refer to have been paid out.
• Geographical focus. The smallest unit is the municipality, from which larger units are formed. Data on reimbursements for medical expenses are included in the statistics for a certain municipality for the persons who had the municipality in question as their municipality of residence at the end of the statistical reference period.
• Sex
• Age group. A recipient of reimbursement for medical expenses is included in the statistics for the age group which corresponds to the person's age at the end of the statistical reference period.

Statistical reference period

Annual data available since 2007, monthly data available for the current and two preceding years.

Updating frequency

Updated monthly, annual data updated in January.

Data source

Kela – The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Statistical registers (total material) produced from the benefits system for reimbursements of medical expenses.

Additional information

Additional information on reimbursements for medical expenses is available at www.kela.fi under Our Services » Sickness » Medicine expenses and at the same address under About Kela » Statistics » Statistics by topic » Reimbursements for medical expenses.

Contact information

Kela, Statistical Information Service
Email: tilastot@kela.fi