Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela): Statistics on reimbursement entitlements in respect of medicines
Keywords
chronic disease
entitlement to special refunds
cardiovascular diseases
medicines
hypertension
Classifications
Classification by sex
male, female, combined
Age classification
Ages 25-39
Geographical classification
Municipality, sub-region, region, area for the regional state administrative agency, major region, Mainland Finland/Åland, hospital district, university hospital special responsibility area, whole country
Data content
The indicator gives the percentage of people entitled to special refunds (75%) of medicines for hypertension in the 25-39 age group at the end of the calendar year. The cost of medicines is reimbursed for persons suffering from certain severe chronic diseases either under the Higher (100%) or Lower (75%) Special Refund Category.
Interpretation
The patient is eligible to special refund if the disease is chronic and severe and requires long-term medication. The Social Insurance Institution confirms the diagnosis and the severity of the disease on the basis of a certificate issued by a specialist. The Lower (75%) Special Refund Category includes hypertension patients meeting the Social Insurance Institution's criteria concerning the severity of the disease. These criteria are stricter than those concerning the starting of medication. Among the diseases entitling to special refunds on medicines, hypertension has the greatest number of patients.
The indicator describes the prevalence of hypertension although the register of the Social Insurance Institution does not include mild cases of the disease.
Restrictions
Individual level data are confidential. For the sake of privacy protection, no municipality level data with less than 4 cases are published.
Additional information
Legislation
Sickness Insurance Act
Recommendations
The indicator can be used to monitor the attainment of the targets set in the Health 2015 public health programme.
