Social Policy

6.3.2018

STUDENT HEALTHCARE CHANGES DUE TO THE SOTE REFORM

Press releases, Social Policy, Students Leave a comment

Release of the National union of university students in Finland (SYL) 5.3.2018

The legislation concerning the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) and its operations will change as part of the overall reform of social services and healthcare in 2020. The legislation on student healthcare is only being prepared now and the details of it will be confirmed in June 2018. However, based on information in the media, we can deduce the following:

The access to FSHS’s services will be widened to encompass students at universities of applied sciences (UAS), including students studying for a UAS Master’s degree.
Foreign students without degree rights will be excluded from the FSHS’s services.
The healthcare fee will be increased from 54 euros to 75 euros. At the same time, all FSHS’s client fees will be abandoned.
With the Sote reform, healthcare legislation will be streamlined. As a part of this process, the tasks of student healthcare will also be changed. This means that there will be less specialist medical care provided at FSHS.

However, the fact that specialist medical services such as gynaecologists and dermatologists will no longer be provided does not mean that students no longer will receive treatment for such. General practitioners can provide many of the services currently provided by FSHS. If a student needs the services of a specialist, FSHS will direct the student to specialist services.

The information we comment on here is based on the draft legislation as of now and there might still be changes to the draft.

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Following people in Aalto university student union answer student queries and provide other informatio if necessary

Lauri Jurvanen, Specialist student advocy lauri.jurvanen@ayy.fi +358 50 520 9418

Lauri Seppäläinen, board member, lauri.seppalainen@ayy.fi +358 40 651 5656

26.3.2015

ARTS student: Respond to the indoor air questionnaire

Social Policy Leave a comment

Indoor air problems cause concern in School of Arts, Design and Architecture . Please fill out this indoor air questionnaire aimed at students and staff and help us know where we are at the moment.

The purpose of the questionnaire is to determine problems connected to the working environment and symptoms caused by indoor air. Further investigations will be started based on the findings and necessary amendments will be made. The questionnaire will be repeated annually.

The results of this questionnaire will be published on Wednesday 20 May. There will be a briefing at Arabia campus and the event can also be watched via a video link. Further information and an invitation to the event will be available later.

The questionnaire is filled out in the Webropol online service and you will only need a few minutes to complete it. Due to the confidential nature of the survey, respondents fill out the questionnaire anonymously. At the end of the survey, you may leave your e-mail address to enter into a competition; there will be a draw for three bundles of two cinema tickets to Kino Sheryl open to all respondents.

Please set aside a few minutes and respond to this survey! This questionnaire is open until 15 April. https://www.webropolsurveys.com/S/3F79EF2DF82159AC.par

What to do when experiencing symptoms?

If a student is experiencing symptoms connected to poor indoor air quality, he or she must contact Public Health Nurse Johanna Eklundh at the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). A physician at the FSHS will provide an expert opinion, which the student must forward to the office of Learning Services that is responsible for measures connected to guaranteeing accessibility for students. It is also recommended to forward the statement to designated members of staff at the Learning Services to guarantee the fulfilment of students’ privacy protection. Pulma Föhr-Siltavuori and Leena Koskinen handle the issue at the Learning Services.

The contact person for staff in corresponding situations is Physician Taina Taube at the Diacor occupational health care services. In fact, if there is suspicion of symptoms connected to indoor air, employees are recommended to contact their responsible physician (Taube).

If a student or a member of staff notices poor indoor air in a particular room or space, they should write an e-mail about their observation to sisailma@list.aalto.fi. The message will be directed to EHS Manager Lasse Wallius and Occupational Safety and Health Representative Helena Härkönen. The message will be responded to within one week.

Further Information:

Tapio Koskinen, Chairman of the indoor air working group, tapio.koskinen@aalto.fi, +358505004350
Mari Tammisaari, Secretary of the indoor air working group mari.tammisaari@aalto.fi, +358504317423

17.12.2014

FSHS’ Health Care Fees Increase from 1.8.2015

Membership and fees, Social Policy, Students Leave a comment

The Finnish Student Health Service’ (FSHS) health care fee will be increased by 10 euros from 1st August 2015. From the academic year of 2015–2016 onwards the fee will be 54 euros per student. The student unions pay the health care fee for each student who is registered as being present, and the students participate in financing the FSHS by paying the student union’s membership fee. This insurance-like health care fee gives the students the right to use the FSHS’ services.

This increase is a large one, which is a shame. The reason behind the increase is that the Council of State has halved the subsidies paid to the FSHS by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MoE). Reducing these subsidies would reduce the FSHS’ funding by 10%, and it would greatly influence the services offered by the FSHS. To avoid weakened services, both the students and the city councils will increase their share of the FSHS’ funding.

The aim of the fee increase is to maintain the high quality and extensiveness of the FSHS’ services. Together, the student unions decided that their share of the FSHS’ funding can be increased to avoid weakening the students’ health care services.

Through the increase in the health care fees and the increase in appointment fees that will be carried out at the beginning of 2015, cuts to services provided by the FSHS can be avoided, and the reduction in the subsidies from the MoE should not be visible in the amount or quality of services received by the students.

Student unions pay the health care fee for each student automatically and collect their membership fees in the usual way, so the increase does not require students to take any special measures.

Background:

Health care services for university students are organised by the FSHS. The FSHS receives its funding from four sources: the Social Insurance Institution, the students, the local city council and the MoE. A reduction in the share of funding provided by one source will inevitably affect the other sources’ shares, or alternatively weaken the level of service provided. The maximum level of funding provided by the Social Insurance Institution is defined by law.

Agenda: