Occupational health services' costs and coverage

This page contains information about the costs and coverage of occupational health services (OHS) from the 1960s onwards. The costs of occupational health services only account for a small part of the overall costs of occupational health care.

Description

Employers and employees pay for occupational health care both directly and through the earned income insurance. The state participates in the financing of occupational health care for entrepreneurs. From the funds collected with the earned income insurance, Kela reimburses the company that has purchased occupational health services. The charts are based on Kela’s occupational health care statistics. In 2020, the costs of occupational health care were slightly more than 3.5 per cent of the overall costs of occupational health services in Finland.

The meters

The first figure represents the division of costs and reimbursements between preventive occupational health care and medical care. Preventive occupational health care and medical care have been described on Kela's website under “Korvattava työterveyshuolto” (reimbursable occupational health care). The second figure represents a description of the development of the costs and reimbursements of occupational health care per an employed as well as the overall costs and amounts of reimbursement of occupational health care in Finland. In addition, the figure can be used to view the share of occupational health care costs in health care operating expenses.

The costs comprise the annual costs of occupational health care organized by employers in Finland. The costs in question only include costs approved by Kela as occupational health care costs. The reimbursement is an amount of money paid with the earned income insurance by employers and employees that is paid to the employer through the Social Insurance Institution of Finland according to the occupational health care reimbursement policy. The reimbursement forms a part of the overall costs. Preventive occupational health care is aimed at both the employees and the workplace.

The third figure represents the number of wage earners within the scope of occupational health services (coverage). In addition, coverage is presented as a percentage figure of all wage earners.

The numbers per wage earner calculated in the figures slightly differ. In the larger figure, the used number for employees is slightly more accurate due to the fact that the number is available separately for each compensation category on the Social Insurance Institution of Finland’s Kelasto service. A slightly higher number found on the annual statistics has been used in the calculation of numbers in the smaller figure.

The amount that the employer pays for occupational health care is often slightly higher than that found in these figures due to the fact that employers do not seek reimbursements for all occupational health care.

This information is updated annually.