site.bta MPs from Three Opposition Parties Petition Constitutional Court about Provisions of Medical-Treatment Facilities Act

MPs from Three Opposition Parties Petition Constitutional Court  about Provisions of Medical-Treatment Facilities Act

Sofia, November 12 (BTA) - MPs from the opposition Movement for
Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)
and the Bulgarian Democratic Centre (BDC) have petitioned the
Constitutional Court about provisions of the Medical-Treatment
Facilities Act, MRF floor leader Touncher Kurdjaliev told a news
 conference on Thursday. The petition, signed by 57 MPs,
concerns two provisions: Articles 34a and 37a of the
Medical-Treatment Facilities Act.

The first provision concerns how the National Health Insurance
Fund (NHIF) assesses with which establishments to sign an
agreement and purchase services, using criteria and terms laid
out in an Health Ministry ordinance. The second provision
concerns how to place and create new medical-treatment
facilities in old establishments, again with an agreement with
the NHIF, after evaluation of the Regional Health Maps
Commission.

Kurdjaliev said that the provisions contravene the rule of law,
the principle of protection of investments and business
activity, and the right to health insurance.

BSP MP Emil Rainov, who is also Deputy Chairman of the
parliamentary Health Committee, said that Health Minister Peter
Moskov should get to think how come a second law of his is
appealed against in the Constitutional Court.

BDC co-floor leader Krassimira Kovachka, who too is Deputy
Chairperson of the Health Committee, said that BDC supports a
recent position of the Bulgarian Medical Union (BMU) who said it
 is not going to sign the National Framework Agreement for 2016
if it is left out of the negotiations. Kovachka said it is
inadmissible for a branch association to be left out of the
negotiations and distribution of money.

MRF MP Hassan Ademov said that MRF representatives had a meeting
 with BMU members on Thursday and that both formations are
against the structure of the budget of the NHIF, the regulatory
standards in outpatient care and the limits in hospital care.