site.btaParliament Adopts at First Reading Update of National Health Insurance Fund's Budget by Mln 225 Lv

Sofia, July 29 (BTA) - Parliament Tuesday adopted at first reading an update of the 2014 budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) by 225 million leva. The update was supported by 184 MPs of GERB, Coalition for Bulgaria (CfB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. A MP of CfB abstained.

The 225 million leva the NHIF needs will be taken from the total national budget deficit and include 200 million for hospitals and 25 million leva for cancer patient medicines.

The draft update was moved by the Council of Ministers in conformity with the political decision reached by the political forces at a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security with the President, on the elaboration of legislative changes in the NHIF budget's expenditures part.

The expenditures on transfers adopted in the 2014 NHIF Budget Act amount to 2,823,110,000 leva, including a reserve of 279,516,000 leva. The total amount of expenditures is 2,820,020,000 leva, with the expenditures registered as at May 31 amounting to 1,304,258,000 leva or 46.2 per cent of the annual plan.

The implementation of the health insurance contributions for January-May amounts to 1,287,653,000 leva, or 52.1 per cent of amount adopted in the 2014 NHIF Budget Act
The contributions, including the transfers for hospital care, total 1,319,708,000 leva, or 53.3 per cent of the annual plan.This is an increase of 169 million leva compared to the like period of 2013.

As at May 31, the deficit amounted to 166.7 million leva, with 100 million leva accumulated in 2014 and 67 million leva in 2013.

According to a summary of the report by the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee, Healthcare Committee, and Economic Policy and Tourism Committee, the update of the NHIF budget or the national budget is impossible without this being reflected in the consolidated fiscal programme of the 2014 National Budget Act.