In 2025, Kela's medicine reimbursements increased to nearly two billion euros due to the rise in the number of people using expensive new medications.
In 2025, Kela, Finland's social insurance institution, announced that medicine reimbursements reached nearly two billion euros, reflecting a significant rise in pharmaceutical expenditures. Finns spent approximately 2.74 billion euros on medications eligible for reimbursement last year, leading to Kela providing a total of 1.98 billion euros in reimbursements. This marks a four percent increase from 2024, amounting to an additional 79 million euros, with the growth trend accelerating over the past two years.
The increase in Kela's reimbursements is attributed to several factors, including a rise in the population using new and expensive medications. As the variety of conditions treated by these medications expands, more individuals require these innovative treatments, thus increasing the overall costs associated with prescribed drugs. In addition, the introduction of new medications into the reimbursement system has further contributed to the overall rise.
According to Kela, 52 percent of Finns received medication reimbursements last year, with biologic drugs accounting for a significant 36 percent of the total reimbursements. The growing utilization of biologic medications highlights a shift towards using advanced treatments for managing chronic diseases, showcasing a notable trend in the healthcare sector towards more specialized and potentially costly medical therapies.
