Freedom of Choice bill tabled in parliament

The government on Wednesday submitted a bill to parliament to bring reforms in healthcare and social services (Sote).

According to the reform proposal named Freedom of Choice, people have the right to choose where to get healthcare and social services. Clients would have more freedom to choose the service providers that best suit them.

According to the bill, publicly funded health and social services would be provided by public, private and third-sector operators.

The act would give the regions and service providers an obligation to ensure that clients get advice and guidance. Clients would get more information about the quality of health and social services and about waiting times.

It is estimated that the services organised within the scope of Freedom of Choice would account for some 29 per cent of the health and social services organised by the counties. This would mean that the funding for Freedom of Choice would be around EUR 5.3 billion at the 2016 prices, while the funding for all public health and social services would be EUR 18.6 billion.

Parliament will decide in June 2018 whether to accept the proposed Freedom of Choice Act. The objective is that the counties would start organising public health and social services at the start of 2020.

As of autumn 2019, clients would be able to choose the unincorporated county enterprise, and thereby the county, which they want to use to get the services they need.

The regions would introduce the health and social services voucher and personal budget by 1 July 2020 at the latest. Health and social services centres would start operating by 1 January 2021 and dental clinics by 1 January 2022.

Since the preparations are progressing at different paces in different regions, some regions will have a wider Freedom of Choice already in 2018-2021 through pilot projects involving health and social services centres and oral health units. Pilot projects involving health and social services vouchers and personal budgeting will be carried out in 2018-2019.