Patient insurance
Statutory patient insurance covers personal injuries incurred by patients in the course of providing care or treatment.Patient insurance is a statutory insurance
Patient insurance is mandatory to all companies and other operators in the sector that provide healthcare or medical care.
Cover against personal injury claims
Patient insurance covers personal injuries incurred by patients in the course of providing healthcare and medical care, such as malpractice or accident injuries.
Patient insurance is valid only in Finland
As healthcare or medical care provided abroad by a healthcare professional is excluded from the scope of cover, patient insurance is not valid outside Finland.
Patient insurance also covers telemedicine services
Pohjola Patient Insurance also covers telemedicine services provided and received in Finland.
Patient insurance against patient injuries
Patient liability insurance protects patients, medical staff and healthcare service providers.
The Patient Injury Act specifies that patient insurance is mandatory for medical professionals or companies, institutions or entities practising healthcare and medical care in Finland.
Patient insurance covers personal injuries caused to patients in connection with healthcare or medical care. Patient injuries include illnesses and injuries that occur in connection with treatment or examination.
Obligation to patient insurance
All companies, institutions and healthcare professionals that practise healthcare and medical care in Finland have the obligation to take out patient insurance against liability under the Patient Injury Act. Healthcare professionals who are registered with the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira are always included in the scope of patient insurance.
These entities may be companies such as clinics, hospitals and pharmacies, or professionals practicing as private entrepreneurs, such as nurses, registered massage therapists and physiotherapists. It’s advisable to make sure that the agreement enters into force before meeting the first patient.
Healthcare and medical care activities subject to the Patient Insurance Act
include, for example:
- healthcare or medical care provided by a physician, dentist or nurse
- occupational, school or student healthcare
- optician’s services
- ambulance transport
- sampling, blood donation and vaccination
- rehabilitation, physical therapy and physiotherapy
- sale of prescription drugs by pharmacies
- clinical medical research.
What is compensated under patient insurance?
Patient insurance covers bodily injuries caused to your patient in connection with the provision of healthcare and medical care as specified in the Patient Insurance Act. Examples of patient injuries are listed in the table below:
| Patient insurance | |
|---|---|
| Malpractice resulting from medical examination or treatment of a patient or negligence thereof | Yes |
| Accident injury incurred suddenly, unexpectedly and due to an external event during medical examination or treatment | Yes |
| Equipment breakage, in other words the breakage of medical equipment during treatment or examination, resulting in personal injury to the patient | Yes |
| Infection injury due to an unexpected infection during medical examination or treatment | Yes |
| Sudden and accidental injury during medical examination or treatment, such as the patient falling from a treatment table | Yes |
| Injury caused by circumstances in the treatment facilities or equipment, such as fire in the treatment facilities | Yes |
| Injury caused by the incorrect administration of medication. | Yes |
Malpractice is not the same as a patient injury defined in law. When processing a claim, we differentiate between expenses related to an underlying disease or injury being treated and those caused by a patient injury. Covering patient injuries incurred in examinations and treatment is the cornerstone of patient insurance, but there are limits to this cover.
For example, patient injury insurance does not compensate injuries incurred by the patient due to medication that has been appropriately administered or prescribed.
