Where Q there A

• You can use FSHS e-services and remote services when you are on your exchange abroad as long as you are registered as present in your Finnish home university or university of applied sciences. Read more about the right to use FSHS services and about the available services.

• In case you are an incoming international exchange student can no longer use FSHS services as of 1^st of January 2021.

However, you can find further information about the Finnish health care system through these websites:

• Finnish Immigration Service
• The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (European Health Insurance Card)
• The European Commission (European Health Insurance Card)
• InfoFinland (general information in several languages)

• Our one word answer is yes. You can take care of several health-related matters with our health care professionals through remote consultations that are conducted through video conference. You can make remote appointments in all our service units and during autumn our Digital Doctors will also start their work.

• The student health care services are defined by law in the act on healthcare for students in higher education which is precised in the guide on student healthcare which is made by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) organizes the services which are then produced by the FSHS in accordance to the decisions made by the authorities.
• The services of the FSHS will mainly remain as they are now.

• Remote consultations are primarily an alternative to in-person appointments. Once you have made an appointment you can in most cases choose by yourself if the appointment will be conducted as a remote consultation or as an in-person appointment. There are also such cases where remote consultations are not possible. Especially in such cases which require physical examinations.
• The development of remote consultations is also based on the wishes of students. Many students think that it is nice and easy to take care of business with the FSHS remotely in matters that do not require one to be present physically.

• Yes it will grow. We are hiring a significant amount of new staff into our service during this autumn and winter. Our current workforce consists of about 560 health care professionals and by the beginning of next year we will already have a strength of about 1000 people in total. However, an important aspect to remember is that we are not only increasing the staff number but also developing our service model which will be built around the specially appointed team model as well as the nationwide digital- and remote services.

• The FSHS’s mission connected to mental health related issues consists of mental health work, the betterment of students’ mental health, the preventive work related to mental illnesses as well as the early identification of problems that are related to mental health. Furthermore, we offer treatment in a fast manner to those in need and the goal is to offer effective treatment as well. If needed we direct the individual for further treatment, evaluation for the need of rehabilitation and service guidance for rehabilitative services. We also follow up on long-term mental illnesses, support students study ability (through special support) for those whose study ability has been reduced due to an existing mental condition.
• For those, who have fallen ill to psychotic illnesses the FSHS offers early identification of the illness and directs such individuals for further treatment as well as offering support for study ability. We also follow up on long-term mental illnesses (including the prescriptions the individual needs). The furtherment of the students study ability will be realized in the coming responsibility teams in such cases where the services are not included in the public sectors service repertoire.

• Those services which are connected to mental health within student health care includes first stage evaluations, a physician’s evaluation and treatment plan, short therapy and other fixed term treatment forms, support for study ability (special support), consultations with a psychiatrist, psychological evaluations, consultations and research, evaluation of work ability, next step treatment and evaluation of the need for rehabilitation and service guidance to such services.

• FSHS psychologist conduct on the basis of a psychiatrist consultative request a so-called cognitive primary evaluation. In such an evaluation one tests an individual’s abilities and skills on a general level, different aspects of memory. Moreover, the individual’s ability to concentrate is evaluated as well as the how the individual regulates their own behavior is evaluated through a psychological evaluation.

• Yes, from the 1.1.2021 you can use FSHS services during weekdays throughout the year. However, there will be shorter opening hours during certain holidays which occur during weekdays (New Year’s Eve, Maundy Thursday and Walpurgis Night).

• Yes, that is true. As of 1.1.2021 the FSHS will not charge for any appointments. However, that being said the charge for noncancelled appointments will remain even next year.

• You can also in the future get student health care services related to women’s diseases and sexual health. Psychiatrist services are also included as a part of student health care. If needed students will be steered to special medical care.

• At the FSHS dermatologists have a consultative role. When you come to an appointment at the FSHS a doctor can, if necessary, consult a dermatologist. In case your matter cannot be solved at the appointment you can be forwarded to further treatment.

• A student who has the right to use student health care services and has enrolled themselves as present has the right to use FSHS services until the end of the semester, even if they have graduation during the semester.

• Students will be referred to the nearest possible service unit where it is possible to receive oral health services. However, in some cases it might be possible to come to a remote consultation.

• FSHS service units are being established around Finland. You can check where the service units are from here.

• Yes, once you are encompassed by FSHS services health care professionals at the FSHS will take care of your health care services.

• The FSHS conducts diagnostics which are connected to developmental based neuropsychiatric diagnostics as well as such examinations which are required for the planning of treatment and rehabilitation to such a extent that they are included in the student health care services.
• The FSHS can conduct ADHD diagnostic and common treatments can be started if the diagnosis does not require neuropsychological evaluations and if there is no suspicion of other underlying neuropsychiatric disturbances in addition to ADHD.

• The FSHS performs small surgeries such as birthmark removal but no demanding surgeries which would require anesthetics. In oral health we conduct the removal of wisdom teeth for instance and this counts as a surgery.

• The number of students encompassed by our services will grow by 120 % and the amount of staff by 100%. Moreover, we have also developed considerably the way we produce our services. We have also developed our service processes towards a more efficient direction. Some of our services will also be delegated to our subcontractors which is not visible in the amount of staff. We will follow how our services and resources will cope especially after the beginning of the expansion.

• There is not a service unit in Vantaa. Instead, the service unit in Malmi functions as the service unit for students in the Eastern part of the capital area.

• The recruitments have gone well this autumn. We have gathered a lot of interest and attention from health care professionals. In the whole the recruitments have gone well. Of course, there have been some problems in some cases but this will not impact the running of our services.
• Our services are at your disposal from the beginning of the year to all students in higher education. In some locations there will be renovations. Our new workers will start at the beginning of the year. We will follow the situation in the beginning of the year.

• We forwarded this question to Migri who provided us an answer to this question.
• Although a student can receive services from the FSHS a health insurance will be necessary for the entire duration of the stay within Finland.
• Please note, that students from the European Union as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom can meet this requirement through obtaining the European Health Insurance Card.

• You can read about it from this article.

• Immediately at the turn of the year when the new act on the health care services for students in higher education enters into force.

• Your primary FSHS service unit is the one in your study town. If necessary, you will be permitted to book an appointment to a service unit which is run by the FSHS at another town.

• Please note, that only students who study at a location in which there is a branch unit operated by one of our partners can use that service unit.

• In case you are encompassed by the FSHS services the health care fee must be paid in accordance to schedule set by Kela. However, the schedule depends on when you are enrolled as present at your educational institution. For instance, if you enroll as present between the 1st of October and the 31st of December then you are obliged to pay the health care fee by the end of the year. You can use FSHS services once you are enrolled as present.

• Students at universities of applied sciences can book appointments only from the 1st of January 2021 once they are encompassed by FSHS services and obliged to pay the health care fee to Kela. Prior to this date the FSHS does not have any information about those who study at universities of applied sciences.

• Booking an appointment occurs through the need for treatment assessment. And the need for treatment assessment is conducted by a health care professional who charts your situation, evaluates your need for treatment, evaluates the urgency of the matter and provides with advice for self-treatment. You receive the need for treatment assessment either through SelfChat or by phone. Read more

• The mental health services which the FSHS produces and which are part of the student health care are essentially equal to the treatments one can receive from a public health center. With the difference that the FSHS does not produce rehabilitative services related to mental health and does not treat patient with substance abuse background or opioid dependencies.
• In case you have an on-going treatment relationship with special health care (for instance at a psychiatric polyclinic), then the FSHS cannot provide you with the same level of treatment. However, in such situations the FSHS can provide additional support for your study abilities. In case you have an on-going patient relationship with a health center then you can move your treatment relationship to the FSHS provided that your relationship does not consist of rehabilitation or treatment of substance abuse. Before you move your patient relationship to us you should discuss the matter with the treating person at your current place of treatment in order to assess whether such a move would be appropriate.

• The FSHS treats often problems related to wisdom teeth as they are very common amongst students. The decision to remove wisdom teeth is made in connection to a dentist appointment and the removal of wisdom teeth is done free of charge.

• Studens at Åland University of Applied Sciences cannot use FSHS services because their student health care is organized under another juristriction. Therefore, they also do not need to pay the student health care fee.

• When you book appointments at the FSHS you will always need to contact us through our national service numbers or the SelfChat. At this stage it does not matter where you live.

• Students at open universities are not encompassed by FSHS services.

• Students use services primarily from their own service unit. In case it is a service unit which is maintained by one of our partners then only those students who study at that particular location can use services from there.

• FSHS specially appointed teams will take care of all the needs of the educational institutions. For instance, the vaccinations are conducted often in such a way that the nurse will come to the location where the students are.

• The Finnish government has verified for the first time ever the health care fee for students in higher education. The health care fee is in 2021 71,60 euros. According to the act on student health care the payment is done in two rates in which case the fee per semester is 35,80 euros.

• We have received several questions regarding this subject and through this answer we attempt to answer to them all:
• Kela charges the student health care fee from all those students who are encompassed by the FSHS services. All students draw benefits from FSHS services regardless to whether they come to appointments or not. The mission of the FSHS is, according to the act on healthcare for students in higher education and the Ministry of Social Affair’s Guide on student health care, to provide students with health care services. However, the same guiding documents state that the FSHS’s mission is to further student’s health on a more general level which also includes improving the well-being of the community health as well as the health and safety of study environments. All students benefit from many of these objectives. Even those who do not use individual services. In other words, the health care fee does not equal an individuals appointment services but on a broader level the student health care in its entirety.

• Domestic students or students who come from the EU/EEA-area are not subject to tuition fees. However, institutions of higher education make their own decision on the amount of tuition fee they charge from their students from those students that come outside this area. You can find the latest and best information regarding tuition fees from your own educational institution. For information regarding student union’s membership fee you can find information from your own student union.

• We found the following information at Kela’s own website:
• If you do not pay the healthcare fee by the due date, Kela will send you a reminder. If the healthcare fee is paid after the due date, a fixed late-payment fee will be charged. If you do not pay the healthcare fee after having been reminded of it, Kela can withhold the fee and the late-payment fee from your study grant payments without consulting you. If the fee cannot be withheld from the study grant payments, the healthcare fee will be referred to the enforcement authority for collection.

• You have paid only for the autumn semester in case you paid your student unions membership fee via the Oili enrollment services. Because the Oili-system does not allow one to pay extra fees. Therefore, everything should be fine but in case you want to double check you can contact your own student union to ask them.

• In case you study at the spring semester 2021 then you must pay the health care fee for the spring semester. You can read more about the matter at Kela’s website.

• You must pay the healthcare fee to Kela once per term, i.e. twice a year. No bill will be sent on the healthcare fee, and thus you have to pay the fee on your own initiative. Read more at Kela’s website.

Follow the communication by Kela regarding the health care fee.

• No, you don’t. The healthcare fee is assessed on individual students and not on the basis of the number of higher education institutions attended. Kela answered the question here already.

• You can request a decision from Kela concerning the payment of the student health care fee.

The answer to this questions was found in Kela’s frequently asked questions-site:

• The fee must be paid by students who are studying for a Finnish higher education degree and have registered as attending for the autumn or spring term.
• If you are registered as attending in a Finnish higher education institution while doing your study exchange or other period of foreign study, you must pay the healthcare fee. You do not have to pay the healthcare fee if you are registered as non-attending.
• Higher education institutions do not have a uniform policy on whether they require students to register as attending while on a study exchange.

• We cannot bill students because we will not have a list of all affected students before the due date. The healthcare fee must be paid by all students who register as attending. However, it is possible to register as attending as late as the due date. For example, the first due date is scheduled for 31 January 2021. Students who register as attending on that date must pay the fee on the same date.
• To reach all students who are required to pay the fee, we are providing information about the change and about the fee through several different channels. In January 2021, we will send a letter about the healthcare fee to students who registered as attending by early January but have not yet paid the fee.