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.

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

How much does the health care fee cost?

• The exact information is not available yet. However, the healthcare fee will be reviewed yearly and confirmed by 30 November 2020. You can then check the fee on KELA’s website. The healthcare fee in 2021 will be roughly 38.50 euros per term, i.e. about 77 euros for the academic year.

• 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.