The Consumer Ombudsman has again identified deficiencies in the price information provided by healthcare service companies. In particular, price information for the online appointment booking system for eye and dental services was not presented in accordance with the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act.
The Consumer Ombudsman has issued a prohibition to five companies regarding the inadequate presentation of price information in their online appointment booking systems. The prohibition is a means for the Consumer Ombudsman to address violations of consumer rights in situations where a company’s practices deviate from established legal interpretations.
In the online appointment booking systems of the following companies, the price of the service or the grounds for determining the price did not meet the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act:Silmäasema Oy, Silmäsairaala Pilke Oy, Hammas Hohde Oy, Oral Hammaslääkärit Oy, and PlusTerveys Oy.
In the same context, the Consumer Ombudsman also intervened the price information for dental services provided by Suomen Terveystalo Oy and Mehiläinen Oy. These companies had previously committed to providing price information in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, but deficiencies were still observed.
The deficiencies were identified in an investigation where the Consumer Ombudsman examined the appointment booking processes on the websites of healthcare service companies. Although there has been progress in the presentation of price information for private medical services in general, the deficiencies in eye and dental services were still significant.
"When making an appointment, consumers must have information about the price of the service so they can assess whether the price is reasonable in relation to the content of the service and compare prices. The Consumer Ombudsman expects this matter to finally be resolved."
All the companies mentioned have stated that they will make improvements to their appointment systems as required by the Consumer Ombudsman.
The Consumer Ombudsman expects all healthcare service companies to indicate price information in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act in their appointment bookings.price information in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act in their appointment bookings. The Consumer Ombudsman will continue to supervise the presentation of prices and may take action if necessary.
Updated guidance for companies on price indication
In 2023, the Consumer Ombudsman widely identified problems in the presentation of price information for private healthcare services and prepared instructions for the sector to rectify the situation.
Based on the deficiencies identified in the sector, the Consumer Ombudsman has updated its guidance on providing price information and obligations related to appointment bookings.
In the guidance, the Consumer Ombudsman has drawn attention to the following issues:
- Visibility of price information: The price of the service must be clearly and prominently displayed in the appointment booking view before electronic identification, so that the consumer cannot accidentally overlook it while proceeding with the appointment booking.
- Providing the total price: If the price of the service varies, for example, depending on the day of the week – such as a 30% higher price on weekends – the price information must not be left to the consumer’s calculation. The consumer must be informed of the total price, including any higher charges, in the booking view.
- Use of price ranges: If, for example, a price range is provided in connection with the emergency and accident appointments, it must be sufficiently narrow to be informative for consumers. A price range that is too broad does not meet the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act.
In addition, the Consumer Ombudsman reminds in the guidance that any additional chargeable procedures must be genuinely agreed upon with the consumer, including the price, before they are carried out. If the price of an additional chargeable procedure has not been agreed upon in advance, the consumer is not obligated to pay the additional charge incurred from the procedure.
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Consumer Ombudsman’s guidance: Instruction on the presentation of prices for private healthcare services and obligations related to appointment bookings (in Finnish)
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Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 30.10.2025, Hammas Hohde Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 30.6.2025, Suomen Terveystalo Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 18.6.2025, Mehiläinen Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 17.01.2025, Oral Hammaslääkärit Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 17.01.2025, PlusTerveys Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 17.01.2025, Silmäsairaala Pilke Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 27.3.2023, Mehiläinen Oy (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 10.11.2022, Pihlajalinna Oyj (in Finnish)
Consumer Ombudsman’s decision 15.3.2022, Suomen Terveystalo Oy (in Finnish)