Our own data shows that the most common reasons for seeking medical attention are musculoskeletal ailments and various acute symptoms, such as fatigue and headache. Our chief physician Eino Ahtola states: "A large proportion of visits concern common acute ailments, for which assessment and relief are sought, just as in other age groups."
Revised 2/5/2026
Published 7/1/2025
A general practitioner is often the best expert to assess your general health and determine the cause of your symptoms. Thanks to the freedom of choice experiment, you can get treatment faster and choose the expert that suits you best.
The most common reasons why people over 65 have sought the freedom of choice experiment have been, for example:
We offer comprehensive services for those aged 65 and over who are covered by the freedom of choice pilot.
The appointment time is 20 minutes. This is a suitable time for a thorough investigation of a health concern or symptom and for creating a treatment plan.
Please note that you can only book one appointment for a freedom of choice consultation per day.
If you wish to discuss several ailments or know that you need more time, we recommend booking a normal, longer general practitioner's appointment directly. This way you ensure the best treatment experience and get all your matters taken care of at once.
If your physician recommends further examinations, the pilot covers the most common laboratory and imaging examinations. You pay a separate deductible for these examinations.
The freedom of choice pilot is designed for general practitioner appointments. However, sometimes you may need, for example, a specialist's assessment, a statement or a minor procedure. We will help you find the right help for these situations as well.
The following services are examples of care that often require the help of a specialist or other expert. These will be invoiced according to our normal price list.
If you need, for example, a gynaecologist's, cardiologist's, orthopaedist's or ophthalmologist's assessment, you can book an appointment directly with the specialist you want. Book an appointment with a specialist.
Sprains, strains, fractures or wounds are treated most quickly and effectively at Mehiläinen's emergency services. Find your nearest emergency service.
Driving licence certificates and more extensive statements, such as B and C statements, often require more time and information. You can book a normal appointment with a general practitioner or specialist for these.
The general practitioner will assess your situation at the appointment. If you need, for example, mole removal, joint injection, vaccination, medication given at the appointment or a more extensive imaging examination, such as mammography, he or she will refer you further. These services will be invoiced separately according to our normal price list.
For example, dental care is its own speciality and is not included in the general practitioner's freedom of choice experiment. You can book an appointment directly with dental care specialists.
Booking an appointment has been made as easy as possible for you. Choose the method that suits you best.
You can also book an appointment with the OmaMehiläinen app. Please ensure that you also select the freedom of choice experiment as the service there.
If you prefer to handle matters by phone, our customer service will help you find a suitable time. Mention "freedom of choice experiment" immediately at the beginning of the call to speed up the service.
Call our customer service at 010 414 0101 (local network rate/mobile charge)
If you first want to browse all the physicians participating in the experiment and their locations, you can use our specialist search. You can book an appointment for the freedom of choice experiment directly from the online booking of your chosen physician.
With a little preparation, you ensure that you get the most out of your visit.
Before the appointment, it is good to consider the answers to the following questions. You can also write things down so that you remember everything essential.
In the free choice trial, you receive Kela compensation already in connection with the doctor's visit, which means you don't have to apply for compensation yourself. There is no Kanta fee or outpatient clinic fee charged in the free choice trial.
General practitioner visit in the free choice trial €30.20
In the freedom of choice pilot, Kela reimburses certain common tests that a doctor can prescribe at the clinic. Other tests are charged according to Mehiläinen's normal price list.
You will receive a 50 percent increased Kela reimbursement for these tests and the sample collection fee. This means that you will have to pay half of the price of the tests and the sample collection fee of 15 euros. There is no Kanta fee or outpatient clinic fee charged for the free choice trial.
In the freedom of choice trial, Kela reimburses certain common tests that a doctor can prescribe at the office.
You will receive a 50 percent increased Kela reimbursement for these tests. This means that you will have to pay half of the price of the tests. In the freedom of choice trial, no Kanta fee or outpatient clinic fee is charged.
The pilot includes three general practitioner appointments per calendar year. You can use the appointments flexibly during the year at any participating service provider. Remember to keep track of the number of appointments you have used yourself.
Yes, you can. You can use the pilot within the framework of several different service providers. However, it is important to remember that the pilot covers a total of a maximum of three visits per year, regardless of where you have visited.
No. Your right to use the healthcare services of your own wellbeing services county remains completely unchanged. The freedom of choice pilot is an additional option, not an exclusive choice, and you can use the services in parallel as needed.
No office or other similar hidden costs are added to the price of 30,20 € for the appointment. Please note, however, that any laboratory and imaging examinations prescribed by the physician are always charged separately according to our price list.
No, it does not. The public healthcare's payment ceiling only applies to public services. A visit within the freedom of choice pilot to a private physician costs the amount of the deductibles, even if your payment ceiling is full.
You will receive an invoice for the visit at home, so you do not have to pay it on site at the location's cash desk. You can pay the invoice either with the invoice received by post or conveniently directly in the OmaMehiläinen app.
The freedom of choice visit is designed to efficiently clarify one matter. If you already suspect when booking an appointment that your matter is complicated or you have several concerns, you should consider booking a normal, longer physician appointment directly. The physician can also assess the need for a follow-up appointment during the consultation, so that your matter is certainly taken care of thoroughly to the end.
Yes, they can. If the general practitioner assesses during the appointment that you need the expertise of a specialist, they can make a referral to a Mehiläinen specialist. However, it is good to note that a specialist's visit is not covered by the freedom of choice experiment, but will be charged according to our normal price list.
Yes. Our physician can, based on their medical assessment, write a referral to public specialised health care. Please note that public specialised health care always makes an independent decision on whether to admit the patient for treatment.
The main goal of the pilot is to improve access to physician appointments for those aged 65 and over and to strengthen the customer's own freedom of choice. At the same time, it helps to ease the burden on public healthcare, as more people can smoothly use private services.
Kela's freedom of choice experiment is valid from 1 September 2025 and will last until 31 December 2027.
