What is included in the range of services?

The Finnish range of public health services is monitored, defined and assessed as a whole by the Council for Choices in Health Care in Finland (COHERE Finland). The Council defines the service choices at a general level. It does not assess the service needs of individual patients or make decisions on their treatment and examinations.

No comprehensive list is available of the service choices, or the health services financed from public funds in Finland. The services are needs based. A patient’s need for services is assessed by a healthcare professional.

What is new about the Council for Choices in Health Care?

The Council issues recommendations on including or excluding health technologies in the range of public health services. The Council’s recommendations gradually complement and update the range of service choices.

It is the only national body to which this overall responsibility and competence has been assigned. Other actors are involved in defining certain components of the service choices, but not across the entire range.