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Market access for medical technologies in Finland

A brief overview of key market access pathways and challenges for medical devices, in-vitro diagnostic tests in Finland

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Key topics

There are three key themes describing market access for medical technologies in Finland: 

  • Reimbursement: payment mechanism via the DRG system and regional price lists
  • Funding: recommendations by the national Council for Choices in Health Care
  • Health technology assessment: obtaining recommendations from the national and local HTA bodies
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Reimbursement

There is no national reimbursement or funding model for healthcare services in Finland. Wellbeing counties in Finland are funded in different ways. Local price lists (fee-for-service), activity-based funding on the basis of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), and global budget adjusted for DRG activity are the three most common ways of financing health care services.

Finland shares the DRG system (NordDRG) with several other countries, including Sweden and Norway. However, all inter-regional care is reimbursed on a case-by-case basis via the DRG system. Therefore, the role of DRG is higher for procedures, which are concentrated only in several hospitals across the country and provide care for patients from other Finnish wellbeing counties. 

DRGs are determined by the combination of a procedure code (THL) and a diagnosis code (ICD-10). THL nomenclature is maintained by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and released a few times a year. The Finnish version of the NordDRG system is approved annually.

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Funding

Finland has no nationally defined list of health benefits that are guaranteed to the Finnish population. Decisions on which treatment methods to use and which new technologies to introduce are made by the hospitals.

In order to promote equal access, cost-effective, and efficient use of medical technologies in the country, the Council for Choices in Health Care in Finland (COHERE) evaluates technologies and provides recommendations for the adoption of novel technologies to payers (wellbeing counties) and healthcare providers. 

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Health technology assessment

HTA is performed on the national level (as part of the COHERE recommendations or stand-alone assessments by the Finnish Coordinating Center for Health Technology Assessment) or on the local level (which can inform hospital decision-making).

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Specifics for IVD tests

There is no specific reimbursement framework for in-vitro diagnostic tests in public laboratories. IVD tests are funded using a global budget principle as part of the laboratory funding.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) reimburses IVD tests performed in private laboratories ordered by private physicians.

MTRC has experience with more than 83 projects in Finland

News and insights

New procedure codes in Finland from January 2025

In September 2024, the Finnish classification of procedures (THL) was updated two times. On September 6, 2024, seven new procedure codes concerning mental health and dental procedures were introduced. On September 11, 2024, forty new procedure codes concerning gastrointestinal, obstetrics and gynecology, surgical procedures, and some other fields were introduced. The codes will come into force on January 1, 2025.

New procedure codes in Finland from August 2024

On July 9, 2024, the updated Finnish classification of procedures (THL) was published to come into force on August 1, 2024. Forty-three new procedure codes were implemented concerning diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, neurovascular, radiology, and other fields.

HTAs in Finland in June 2024

In June 2024, the Finnish Coordinating Center for Health Technology Assessment announced that two rapid hospital assessments in the extracorporeal treatments and endoscopy fields and one Digi-HTA were accomplished.

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