Statistics from Finland provided by the Contact Point for Cross-Border Health Care in Finland and Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) include information on number of resolutions and reimbursements for seeking dental care independently abroad.
2. Table of content
1. Background information and instructions for reading the statistics
2. Resolutions and reimbursements for seeking dental care independently abroad
3. TOP 5 countries: seeking dental care independently
4. Seeking dental care independently in Estonia
5. Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare in Finland
June 15, 2023 Statistics on dental care abroad 2022. Source: Kela
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3. 1. Background information and instructions for reading
the statistics
• Seeking treatment independently means that the customer has travelled abroad with the purpose of
receiving treatment and they do not have prior authorisation pursuant to EU regulations.
• In 2022, Kela reimbursed the costs of seeking treatment independently if the treatment had been
provided in an EU or EEA country or in Switzerland. Treatment costs were reimbursed in the same
manner as treatment given in Finnish private health care. As of the beginning of 2023, Kela pays
reimbursements for costs incurred in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom up to
the amount that equivalent treatment would have cost in the customer’s own wellbeing services county
in Finland.
• The statistics are compiled according to the resolution date. Reimbursement must be sought within half
a year of paying the costs. Therefore, the treatment relating to the statistics may have been given the
year before. The statistics are also affected by the application processing status of Kela.
• The statistics only present the cases where customers have applied for reimbursement for care provided.
• More information at Kela website: Seeking treatment abroad
June 15, 2023 Statistics on dental care abroad 2022. Source: Kela
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4. 2. Resolutions and reimbursements for seeking dental
care independently abroad
Year Number of resolutions Paid reimbursements €
2022 2 181 108,271.77
2021 1 915 90,935.37
2020 3 407 162,092.49
2019 4 171 203,930.34
2018 5 816 280,954.59
• The dental care figures only include the costs of dentist’s fees, not the costs of examinations
and treatments prescribed by the dentist.
• The number of resolutions means the number of decisions given to customers. Kela does not
keep statistics of the numbers of people.
June 15, 2023 Statistics on dental care abroad 2022. Source: Kela
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5. 3. Top 5 countries: seeking dental care independently
Year 2022
Country Number of
resolutions
Paid
reimbursements
€
1. Estonia 1 864 87,376.39
2. Spain 196 10,337.70
3. Poland 41 2,339.19
4. Hungary 18 3,001.60
5. Lithuania 12 1,062.56
Year 2021
Country Number of
resolutions
Paid
reimbursements
€
1. Estonia 1 699 81,114.10
2. Spain 101 4,286.00
3. Poland 23 1,115.50
4. Germany 18 541.53
5. Latvia 9 326.00
June 15, 2023 Statistics on dental care abroad 2022. Source: Kela
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6. 4. Seeking dental care independently in Estonia
Year Number of resolutions Paid reimbursements €
2022 1 864 87,376.39
2021 1 699 81,114.10
2020 2 970 139,919.87
2019 3 597 173,739.20
2018 5 008 235,405.39
June 15, 2023 Statistics on dental care abroad 2022. Source: Kela
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7. 5. Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare in Finland
• The Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare provides advice on using health services in Finland and
abroad. Each EU country has a contact point. In Finland, the contact point is located within Kela.
• The Contact Point provides service online and by e-mail:
• EU-terveydenhoito.fi
• EU-hälsovård.fi
• EU-healthcare.fi
• EU-dearvvašvuođadikšun.fi
• EU-terveydenhoito.fi in Finnish sign language
• EU-hälsovård.fi in Finland-Swedish sign language
• Email: yhteyspiste(at)kela.fi
• The Contact Point is also on:
• Twitter: @rajayhteyspiste
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rajayhteyspiste/
June 15, 2023 Statistics on dental care abroad 2022. Source: Kela
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