The purpose of rehabilitation is to promote the patients’ independence, self-care, and control of their respiratory diseases and to maintain work and functional ability.
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Kela’s rehabilitation services
People with asthma, COPD, and rare respiratory diseases can access rehabilitation programmes. Kela stopped providing rehabilitation for people with sleep apnoea in 2016. Visit Kela’s website for more information about their rehabilitation programmes. You should also check out the services offered by rehabilitation centers on their websites.
If you think that you need rehabilitation provided by Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, talk to a healthcare professional. Healthcare professionals include doctors, nurses, and hospital rehabilitation instructors.
Rehabilitees may or may not be in the workforce. Children and young people have access to adaptation training courses.
Rehabilitation programmes are organised throughout Finland. Friends and family can also apply for adaptation training courses and family rehabilitation.
Your doctor will help you seek the rehabilitation you need and provide you with a medical statement. The application procedure and required documents are specified separately for each rehabilitation programme.
You can submit a rehabilitation application to Kela online. You will need a medical statement B to attach to your application. It is also advisable to include a rehabilitation plan. You can ask for further information and book a time for your rehabilitation application interview by calling Kela’s rehabilitation customer service number on 020 692 205.
You can keep track of your rehabilitation application process in Kela’s online service. Use the Mobile ID or your online banking credentials to log in to the service. Once Kela has decided to grant you rehabilitation, you and your rehabilitation centre will be notified. The rehabilitation centre will then invite you to participate in a course.
Rehabilitation programmes funded by insurance companies
If you are suffering from a work-related respiratory disease and want to enter a rehabilitation programme, you can request a payment commitment document from your insurance company. You may also be entitled to reimbursement for other rehabilitation-related costs.
Negative rehabilitation decisions
The party that finances your rehabilitation (Kela or your insurance company) will always notify you of their decision. If your application is accepted, the funder will send a payment commitment document to the rehabilitation centre. The rehabilitation centre will then contact you to invite you to the course and give you advance assignments.
Sometimes applications are rejected. If your rehabilitation application is rejected, you should consider other rehabilitation options. Look for information about health holidays and courses funded by other organisations. STEA, the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations, is one option. You can discuss the matter again with your physician to decide whether you should reapply for a rehabilitation programme.