Earnings-related pension sector to introduce the service in early 2027

The service will be launched in October, when medical statements will begin to be sent electronically to Kela. The earnings-related pension sector will start using the service in early 2027.

“We hope that as many healthcare providers as possible will soon begin sending electronic B and C medical statements through Kanta Services. This will allow the statements required for pension and rehabilitation applications to reach the earnings-related pension sector more quickly and smoothly”, says Reetta-Kaisa Lehtinen, Development Managerin the Register Services Department at the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Lehtinen has been closely involved in preparing the reform.

The earnings-related pension sector has been preparing for the reform for several years. The Finnish Centre for Pensions has coordinated preparations across the sector and worked closely with the relevant stakeholders and authorities.

Electronic medical statements speed up benefit processing

The reform aims to ensure that rehabilitation is provided at the right time. In many cases, people who fall ill could return to work sooner if their treatment, benefits and rehabilitation were better coordinated.

“Electronic medical statements are a welcome development. They will improve the flow of information and help pension providers process rehabilitation and earnings-related pension applications more efficiently”, says Janne Pulkkinen, Development Manager in the Legal Department at the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

Patient consent required for electronic delivery

A medical statement is required when applying for a benefit on the grounds of reduced capacity for work. Applicants must tell their doctor whether they are applying for a pension-related benefit from an earnings-related pension provider, Kela or both.

The doctor will send the statement to the relevant organisation or organisations.  The applicant’s consent is required before it can be sent electronically. Electronic delivery also speeds up the processing of the application.

Following a single appointment, the doctor can send the necessary medical statements to both the earnings-related pension provider and Kela. The doctor will ensure that each statement is suitable for its intended purpose.

Applicants can view the statements issued by their doctor in MyKanta. If electronic delivery is not possible, they can submit the statement to the pension provider themselves.

Medical statement B to remain in use during transition period

Healthcare organisations and wellbeing services counties will introduce the patient document delivery service at different times.

Not all organisations will start using the electronic medical statement delivery service immediately. That is why medical statement B will remain available as an alternative for the rest of this year and throughout next year.

Earnings-related pension providers, their jointly owned IT company Arek and the Finnish Centre for Pensions are working with Kela to develop the procedures for introducing electronic medical statements.