Private general practitioner appointments for people over 65
On this page
- What is the pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare?
- Which services are included?
- Checklist for appointments with a private general practitioner
- How much do you have to pay for each appointment?
- Questions and answers about the pilot study
- Search for medical clinics and other customer service points
Pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare
On September 1, Kela implemented a pilot study durinh which persons aged 65 or over can see a private general practitioner at the price of the local user fee charged by public healthcare providers. This so called pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare will continue until December 31 2027. The aim of the pilot study is to improve the availability of primary healthcare services, speed up access to treatment and provide more freedom of choice for customers.
Which services are included?
If you are 65 or older, you can book an appointment to see a private general practitioner that is participating in the pilot study. General practitioners treat a wide range of conditions. They will help you with problems such as back pain, trouble sleeping or high blood pressure.
The appointments can be in-person appointments or remote video or phone appointments.
If the doctor orders examinations during the appointment and if they are included in the pilot study, you will get them at a reasonable price. You can also chose where the tests are made.
Checklist for appointments with a private general practitioner
Use our search tool to find a suitable private clinic that is participating in the pilot study. Go to the clinic's website and book your appointment to a general practitioner taking part in the study. The appointment can also be a remote video or phone appointment. If you book your appointment by phone, tell the receptionist that you are booking an appointment that is included in the pilot study.
Show your Kela card or ID card at the clinic. The clinic will charge you for the appointment and any examinations or tests ordered by your doctor. The fees you have to pay at the clinic will not exceed the rates that apply during the pilot study. This means that you do not need to apply for any reimbursements for the costs of treatment, examinations or tests afterwards.
Your patient data will be available to your doctor at your place of treatment if you give your consent to patient data sharing. You can give your consent in MyKanta or during your appointment. The professionals treating you must have access to your patient history to be able to provide you with good care.
Learn more about consenting to patient data sharing (kanta.fi).
You can get reimbursement from Kela for the costs of your trips to a private clinic. To qualify for reimbursement, each trip must be made due to an illness for which you have been given treatment that is reimbursable by Kela.
You are entitled to 3 appointments in 2026. Keep track of how many appointments you have used and how many you have left each year to avoid unexpected costs. You can also see this information in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish only), but it may be updated with a delay.
Brochure with key instructions and information
The brochure has key instructions and information about fees for the appointment and which examinations are included in the pilot study. The size of the brochure is A4.
How much do you have to pay for each appointment?
You can see a private general practitioner at the price of the local user fee charged by public healthcare providers for a set number of times in each year of the pilot study. The local user fee is EUR 30.20 or less in 2026. The appointments can be in-person appointments or remote video or phone appointments. You do not have to pay any separate service fees, administrative fees or other costs.
You will also have to pay half (50%) of the maximum price of any examinations or tests the doctor has ordered for you if they are included in the pilot study. If the examination or test costs less than the maximum price Kela has set for it, you will also pay a smaller price. The price of the appointment also includes the doctor contacting you to discuss the results of the examinations or tests the doctor has ordered for you. You do not have to pay a separate fee to have the doctor contact you to tell you the results. It will also not count as a new appointment or reduce the number of appointments available to you during the pilot study.
Check the maximum prices of examinations and tests included in the pilot study from July 1 (PDF).
You can get treatment and undergo examinations and tests at the prices applied in the pilot study only if your chosen doctor is participating in the pilot study and the examinations have been prescribed during a doctor’s appointment that is part of the pilot study.
Questions and answers about the pilot study
In 2026, you can book up to 3 appointments with a private general practitioner who is participating in the pilot study. One appointment covers seeing the doctor, the examinations and tests ordered by the doctor and the call you get from the doctor afterwards to discuss the results of the examinations or tests.
After you have used up your pilot study appointments, you will have to pay the normal price for appointments at a private clinic. Alternatively, you can go to a health centre in your wellbeing services county for treatment.
Keep track of how many appointments you have used and how many you have left each year to avoid unexpected costs. You can also see this information in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish only), but it may be updated with a delay.
The pilot study covers the most common laboratory tests and certain other examinations, such as ECGs and lung X-rays. Check which examinations are included in the pilot study:
You will pay half (50%) of the maximum price of any examinations or tests the doctor has ordered for you if they are included in the pilot study. For laboratory examinations you will also pay half of the maximum price of the laboratory fee (EUR 30), that is EUR 15.
You cannot get any other reimbursements from Kela for the appointments included in the pilot study. After you have used up your pilot study appointments, you will have to pay the normal price for appointments with a private general practitioner and you will get a reimbursement from Kela. For example, Kela will reimburse you EUR 8 for a remote chat appointment and EUR 8 for an in-person appointment with a private general practitioner.
There is no maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket costs (vuosiomavastuu, maksukatto, annual out-of-pocket maximum) for the costs of private medical care. An annual out-of-pocket maximum does exist for the local user fees you pay for using public healthcare services in each calendar year, but the appointments included in the pilot study do not count towards it. Learn more about the annual out-of-pocket maximum (stm.fi, in Finnish).
Keep in mind that travel costs and medicine costs also have an annual out-of-pocket maximum.
Search for medical clinics and other customer service points
Our search tool will show you the private clinics and other service points that service providers have signed up for the pilot study. The availability of appointments may vary between clinics. Check your chosen service provider’s website for instructions on which clinic or service point you can book an appointment to.