The Supreme Administrative Court stated in its decision that the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre (LVK) had not acted in violation of the data protection regulation when obtaining health data. Photo: Andrey Popov / Mostphotos
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The Supreme Administrative Court has ruled that the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre (LVK) acted in accordance with the law when processing personal health data in insurance claims handling.
The decision, issued on 26 March 2025, upheld an earlier ruling by the Administrative Court, which overturned a €52,000 administrative fine previously imposed by the Data Protection Ombudsman.
The case concerned whether LVK had breached the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by requesting health data considered excessive under the data minimisation principle.
The Supreme Administrative Court found no violation of the GDPR, confirming that LVK had not acted unlawfully in obtaining health records for claims assessment. The ruling also concluded that the regulatory framework of Finland’s Traffic Insurance Act is compatible with core GDPR principles, such as necessity and proportionality.
The case stems from a 2021 decision by the Data Protection Ombudsman, which issued a reprimand to LVK and imposed the fine on the grounds that the organisation had requested more personal health data than necessary for processing claims. The Supreme Administrative Court disagreed.
“This precedent is significant for the entire insurance sector,” said Visa Kronbäck, Chief Legal Officer at LVK. “The ruling confirms that insurers are entitled to access all information required to make lawful and justified decisions in claims handling.”
The court also ruled that LVK’s established practice of requesting treatment details for reimbursable medical visits is both lawful and appropriate. However, it stressed that broader data requests must be clearly specified.
Kronbäck said the ruling also benefits claimants.
“An applicant receives a fair decision based on adequate and factual evidence,” he said. “It also means they do not have to provide patient documents themselves to the insurance provider.”
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
