Kela is an independent social security institution, operating under the supervision of the Finnish Parliament. It has its own administration and financial management, and its activities are directed by established rules of procedure.
I’m paying healthcare fee for students in higher education so I can receive health care from a foundation specializing in student health care. The aim is for students to receive the health services they need from FSHS (Finnish Student Health Service) so that student healthcare is no longer dependent on municipal healthcare or private health insurance.
I’m having reimbursements for medicine costs and private dental care. Even though I pay the healthcare fee for students, it’s impossible to get a dentist appointment, for example, so it feels a bit pointless to pay it, but it’s mandatory, so I have no choice but to pay it. When my children were small, I received child benefit and childcare allowance.
I logged into my account in OmaKanta (MyKanta) by typing kanta.fi in my browser’s address bar. I type on the browsers address bar for security reasons. Scammers try to deceive customers by posing as Kanta Services or MyKanta in order to obtain online banking credentials or payment card details. That is why I never use links in search engines. On the kanta.fi page I logged in to MyKanta. I was redirected to Suomi.fi identification where I chose strong electronic authentication method as online banking code. After checking the requested information, I clicked on the “continue to service” button and was now able to view my own health data.
I will not retire until I am 65 years and six months old, at which point my pension will be a few hundred euros less than what I currently earn in net salary. If I retire at the age of 66 years and ten months, my pension will increase by about €77, but if I can keep working until the age of 70, my pension will increase by more than €250. This makes me seriously consider that perhaps it is worth keeping myself in good shape so that I can enjoy my retirement.
My husband and I enjoy traveling within Finland, and when looking for suitable accommodation, we often compare offers on different websites.
Inspired by a television advertisement, I tried the Trivago search engine and looked for a hotel in Joensuu for two nights for two people. The first offer was the “most popular choice,” Green Star Hotel. The price per night was €82, and two nights came to €165. The advertisement mentioned that the original price was €178, meaning that the discount at this point was €13. Breakfast had to be paid for separately and cost €31 per day, bringing the total price to €226.
I went to the Green Star Hotel’s website, which also offered rooms starting at €82. This was slightly different from Trivago’s offer, as it only mentioned that the room price was €82 and that taxes and fees were included. The hotel’s own website stated that breakfast cost €12 per person per night, meaning that breakfast for two people cost €24, or €48 per person for two days, so two nights for two people with breakfast cost a total of €212.
Booking through Trivago would therefore cost €16 more. This was an interesting observation. It shows how easily one can be swayed by the image of offers created by advertisements. The additional charge is hidden right at the beginning, where it is mentioned that one night costs €82 and the total is €165, even though 2 times 82 is 164. The next deception is the price of breakfast. According to Trivago, breakfast costs €31, while the hotel’s own website states that it costs €12 per person. As if secretly, breakfast for two days costs €62, while on the hotel’s own website it costs €48 for two days.
Global hotel booking platform Trivago has been ordered to pay nearly $45 million in fines for misleading customers with ads that falsely claimed to help them easily find “the best price” for hotel rooms. ACCC (Ausralian competition consumer commission) alleges that Trivago misled consumers by claiming to provide the “best price,” while in reality, the platform is accused of favouring hotels that pay the highest advertising fees. Trivago misled consumers with “strike-through” price comparisons that falsely suggested discounts, often by comparing different room types. According to the ACCC, this exploited consumers’ desire for good deals. It can be said that the chosen service is ultimately not reliable, even though it gives a very reliable impression.
I am a nurse in charge at a private home care company, where my duties include administering medication to clients. Since most of the clients are elderly and many of them have memory disorders, medication errors occur. I have downloaded the Farmaca Fennica app to my work phone, which makes it very easy to check the effectiveness, administration, and side effects of medications. My job also involves monitoring the effects of customers’ medications, and I need to be able to explain how the medications work and why they should be used.
The aim of Pharmaca Fennica services is to promote the correct and safe use of medicines through the provision of medicine information. Pharmaca Fennica is intended for healthcare professionals who are authorized to prescribe and dispense medicines.
The PF summaries included in the Pharmaca Fennica services are based on the summaries of product characteristics of medicinal products sold in Finland that have been approved by the authorities. In addition to medicines, Pharmaca Fennica services include information on other products used to support good care, such as basic ointments and clinical nutritional products. The Pharmaca Fennica online service brings together all the necessary medicine information in one place, saving time and improving medication safety. The app is very easy to use, and I use it almost every day. I consider the app to be completely reliable, as the development of the Pharmaca Fennica online service is backed by over 50 years of medical knowledge and expertise. The service is developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, and new features are constantly being added.
Digitalization and digital gap
The digital divide may deepen inequality if service development fails to consider those who are unable or unwilling to adopt digital services. It is essential to provide alternative ways to access services, along with training and support, to ensure no one is left behind.
Those who do not have digital devices or skills are at risk of exclusion. They may be left without access to important services such as healthcare, social services, or banking services. This can increase loneliness and inequality and reduce well-being.
I think that nowadays access to information is poorer, as much important information is only published on websites or digital channels. Without access to this information, people can easily miss out on current guidelines, services, and benefits. It becomes more difficult to conduct business, as many services, such as making appointments, filling out forms, or submitting applications, have moved entirely online. If a person does not know how to use digital services or is unable to do so, conducting business becomes more difficult or impossible.
It is also the case that people who lack digital skills often have to rely on the help of relatives or authorities to conduct their business, which can undermine their self-determination and increase feelings of shame or exclusion. I also believe that without sufficient digital skills, a person may be more vulnerable to fraud or abuse if they attempt to use digital services without understanding the risks involved.
In my opinion, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto) has accurately summarized something that I have observed while working with older people: digital anxiety can be caused by, for example, a bad experience or a warning about digital matters. Fear of mistakes, security threats, and poor skills increase uncertainty. The high price of devices and uncertainties related to their use can also increase fear, especially among older people. Support, such as peer guidance or help from friends, can help encourage use. Fear can also have health-related causes and is not dependent on age or gender. The reasons for fear are often unrelated to digital issues, which makes it difficult to identify.
https://dvv.fi/ikaihmiset-digipelokkuus#
Self-reflection
I learned and already knew that Kela offers health services to students through YTHS, but the poor availability of services raises questions about the reasonableness of the fee. The OmaKanta service allows you to view your health information securely through strong authentication. I also knew that retirement decisions are influenced by retirement age—a longer career increases your pension, but I must admit that I was a little shocked when I realized that in order to even come close to my current income level, I would have to work until I was 70.
When comparing hotel prices, it was eye-opening to notice that Trivago, for example, has cleverly hidden costs, even though at first glance it seems like a good deal. Trivago was fined heavily for misleading marketing, which highlights consumers’ critical attitude towards digital services. The assignment was very useful.
Digitalization can deepen inequality if those without digital skills are left out of services – alternative ways of doing things, training, and support are needed. Fear of digital technology is often caused by bad experiences, feelings of insecurity, and the high price of devices, not just age. I certainly notice this every day in my work.
I commented on theese articles:
https://blogi.savonia.fi/maijukarkkainen
https://digital-competence.eu/dc/report/?uri=353d5f37ed35d5b48981c5a2368ed399