Maksuosuus

Maksuosuus is a Finnish term that describes the portion of a price that a consumer must pay out of pocket for a service or product, with the remainder typically covered by a public or private payer such as Kela (the Social Insurance Institution) or an insurer. The concept is commonly used in health care and social services to share costs between the user and the system.

Maksuosuus can be a fixed fee per service or a percentage of the price, and the exact amount depends on the service category, the scheme in use, and sometimes the user’s status. Examples include visits to a health center, prescription medicines, dental care, and rehabilitation services, all of which may involve a maksuosuus that is later adjusted by reimbursements. In many cases, reimbursements from Kela or an insurer reduce the out-of-pocket cost, and there may also be deductibles (omavastuu) or annual caps (maksukatto) that limit total payments.

Exemptions and reductions: Some groups, such as children, students, and pensioners, may have a reduced maksuosuus or be exempt from it for certain services.

Relation to other terms: Maksuosuus is related to omavastuu (the personal deductible) and to the reimbursement provided by Kela or private insurers. It functions as a cost-sharing mechanism intended to maintain access to services while distributing costs between the user and the system.

Other contexts: The term can also apply to pricing of subsidized products or services outside health care, where the customer pays a co-payment portion.