Discretionary rehabilitation
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Kela can grant rehabilitation for many different kinds of illnesses, conditions and disabilities. Rehabilitation services provided on a discretionary basis (discretionary rehabilitation) can help you if you have an illness, condition or disability that has a negative effect on your ability to work or study or manage in daily life.
Some discretionary rehabilitation services are also available in the form of intensive medical rehabilitation.
Ask a healthcare professional (such as a doctor) what kind of rehabilitation they would recommend for you based on your needs and situation.
What is discretionary rehabilitation?
Discretionary rehabilitation is usually offered as group rehabilitation that aims to help you
- adapt to the new situation brought about by your illness, condition or disability
- recover from your illness, condition or disability and regain agency.
The following types of rehabilitation can also be offered as discretionary rehabilitation:
- multidisciplinary individual rehabilitation
- neuropsychological rehabilitation
- Oma Väylä rehabilitation
- LAKU family rehabilitation.
Discretionary rehabilitation is always tailored to your specific needs.
You need a medical statement B to apply for discretionary rehabilitation
You need a medical statement B (B-lausunto) issued by a doctor or some other statement on your health if you want to apply for discretionary rehabilitation. For example, you can submit a copy of your medical history (sairauskertomus).
Submit your medical statement B or health statement as a supporting document with your application.
What is the difference between discretionary rehabilitation and intensive medical rehabilitation?
Some types of rehabilitation you can apply for as either discretionary rehabilitation or intensive medical rehabilitation. If you are not sure which type of rehabilitation you should apply for, please ask the doctor in charge of your care.
If you apply for discretionary rehabilitation, we will contact you if you may have the right to intensive medical rehabilitation instead.
- Discretionary rehabilitation is usually recommended when an illness, condition or disability has a negative effect on your ability to work or study or manage in daily life.
- You need a medical statement B (B-lausunto) issued by a doctor or some other statement on your health (such as a copy of your medical history) if you want to apply for discretionary rehabilitation.
- Intensive medical rehabilitation is usually recommended when your illness, condition or disability is so severe that it makes managing in your daily life significantly more difficult and you need long-term rehabilitation.
- If you want to apply for intensive medical rehabilitation, you need a rehabilitation plan (kuntoutussuunnitelma) that a doctor in charge of your care who works in public healthcare has drawn up for you.