Kela and Omakanta

Kela has become familiar to me during my studies and work. I use Kela’s services almost every day in my work when we apply for social benefits with my clients. I am most familiar with the benefits of students, basic social assistance, housing and rehabilitation. The latest service I got to know was vocational rehabilitation, which my client is applying for. I have also received special compensation for medicines from Kela. I was surprised when I received a new Kela card in the mail with a note stating that the medicine is compensated. Kela’s website is easy to use, but the applications are not easy. The language accessibility is poor and not everyone understands the content of their decisions and the instructions on how they should act. It is good that there is still an alternative to making applications in paper form, so the services are not totally digitalized.

Omakanta is also a familiar service to me and just last week I checked the record there after my dentist visit. From an accessibility perspective, the challenges are related to the same language accessibility as Kela. When I read the report, I realized that it was not made for me to read, because I could not understand anything about it. There is a difference between social and health services, because in my work in the social sector we use a lot of collaborative recordings with clients, so the things that are entered into are understandable to the client. I just participated in training that concerned connecting our client system to Kanta. The social sector entries will be connected to the database this year, 2026. Welfare areas will move there on a different schedule. We are still waiting for our welfare area to move, so I can’t say yet how the transition has gone. I find the transition important in terms of transparency.

Booking.com

I almost always book accommodation for my trips through Booking.com. The prices on the site are usually the same as on the service providers’ own websites, and thanks to the loyalty program it is also possible to get discounts. If you give up free cancellation, prices drop even further. I have found the site to be reliable, and the information provided is generally accurate. When traveling, online services are a necessity, and comparing accommodation options is easy and efficient.

Personally, I prefer making purchases in stores, and unfortunately this has become increasingly difficult. I live in a medium-sized city with several shopping options, yet making purchases is still challenging because store selections are often limited. Few people need a wider selection anymore when everything can be ordered online. Although online shopping has many advantages, such as price comparison and accessibility, I do not consider its consequences entirely positive. Online shopping has made consumption too easy: ordering can happen almost unnoticed, products are purchased beyond actual need, and unsuitable items are not always returned. I also assume that data security risks increase when purchases are made carelessly.

OmaEP and Suomi.fi

I chose to explore the digital services of my own well-being services county, because I heard that changes were introduced at the beginning of the year, and in my work, I often guide clients in using these services. I downloaded the wellbeing services county’s application and tried using the online service.

The service allows the use of chat functions for most health and well-being related matters. The chats for different services are available at different times, and the opening hours are clearly visible before joining the chat. For non-urgent matters, it is possible to send a message, although fewer services are available than through chat. The application also allows appointment booking, including options for remote consultations or phone appointments. In addition, there are pre-information forms, a form for requesting client data, and contact forms for patient or social services ombudsmen.

For an experienced user, both the application and the website are simple to use. The menu has a suitable number of headings, and the content under them is clearly presented. Both platforms function in almost the same way and contain no unnecessary elements. The website is slightly clearer, and the appointment booking calendar works more smoothly. It remained unclear which appointments cannot be booked online, but this becomes clearer on a case-by-case basis using the search function. I think the online service is quick to check when there is a need to book an appointment, even if the appointment ultimately must be booked by phone.

Using the digital services understandably requires strong authentication. In my work, my clients repeatedly experience situations where their phone gets lost, broken, or stolen. Along with the phone, a lot of information is lost — most importantly online banking accounts. Getting these back depends on the bank, but it is often not a simple process. The well-being services county’s website also provided information on where digital support is available in different areas. This information is certainly important, and hopefully it is also available in physical form at the locations where support is provided.

It feels strange that these applications and online services are developed separately for each well-being services counties. It would be more cost-effective if these functions were linked, for example, to Omakanta, although understandably this is not that simple.

The wellbeing services county’s website stated that Suomi.fi messages will be enabled automatically at the beginning of 2026. From the start of 2026, legislation concerning the digital delivery of official mail came into force, requiring authorities to primarily send official correspondence digitally (Suomi.fi 2025). This encouraged me to explore the Suomi.fi website as well.

I found information about authorizations, which led me to ask my parents for authorization to handle their affairs. The site allowed users to either grant authorizations themselves or request them, and only a name and personal identity code were required. Authorizations could be granted or requested for services such as OmaKela, Omakanta, and pharmacy services. Banking authorization must be requested separately from own bank. Even with these authorizations, it is possible to manage many matters if a relative’s health situation suddenly changes. I recommend you also explore granting and requesting authorizations with your close ones.

Digital Divide

When telling my parents about authorizations, I also explained the Suomi.fi service. Although my parents have kept up fairly well with technological development, they find it difficult to understand the range of different services. The service selection is broad, and each service has its own name, its own type of online service, and differently designed websites and applications — all of which require remembering. Understanding various online services is even more challenging for those who already find their use difficult. In addition, learning difficulties or attention disorders make online transactions and learning new services more demanding. Also in the past, service users have been passed from one service or counter to another, and reducing this has been a goal for a long time, at least in the social services sector.

Not using digital services makes a person dependent on others, which can increase feelings of exclusion and reduce independence. On the other hand, being outside digital services can increase loneliness or the feeling of it, especially if everyday transactions or contacts with other people are limited. Humans are social beings, so if all everyday interactions take place online, spontaneous daily encounters become fewer. The non-use of digital services should not negatively affect a person’s wellbeing.

My clients are young adults, and for them digitalization has been familiar since childhood. Some young people use online services very fluently, while others are accustomed only to using smartphones and find computer use unfamiliar. I have taught young people how to use computer operating systems, the differences between file formats, how to use a mouse, and how to navigate pages without a touchscreen. They have a lot of challenges to navigate between the digital services and that is one reason they are given services from us.

Self-Assessment

I completed the Digital Competence Wheel, and according to the results my strongest area of competence is safety, particularly health. I have not previously assessed my skills so concretely. I have become familiar with the physical effects of digitalization as a migraine sufferer with neck issues. Although I know how to improve my ergonomics, I too often end up using my laptop on the couch, and I notice the consequences later. After starting a new job, I began continuous Hoxhunt training, which focuses on recognizing phishing attempts. Because of this, I can say that I have learned to identify phishing emails very well.

I thought that I was not interested in new digital services because using them feels so routine. However, it was interesting to explore a new service and reflect on teaching its use to others. I realized my desire to help reduce the digital divide, and I want to continue helping others use digital services.

My retirement age is not very near, so thinking about it feels unnecessary. I find it hard to even believe that estimating my pension so far into the future is even possible. At least through this assignment, I learned that my pension insurance company is Varma.

Sources:

Suomi.fi. 17.11.2025. Viranomaisposti muuttuu sähköiseksi – osallistu infotilaisuuksiin tammikuussa 2026. https://www.suomi.fi/uutiset/viranomaisposti-muuttuu-sahkoiseksi-osallistu-infotilaisuuksiin-tammikuussa-2026 Referred to: 31.1.2026

I commented:

https://blogi.savonia.fi/iidamoilanen/digi-citizen/
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