site.btaHealth Minister Calls for Scrapping Cap on Hospital Services

June 14 (BTA) - Caretaker Health Minister Stoycho
Katsarov calls for scrapping the cap on hospital services
covered by the mandatory health insurance. He briefed reporters
about his plan after meeting with the leaderships of the
National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Bulgarian Medical
Association.

He argued that the cap leaves hospitals unable to claim funding
for all the work they do and this model cannot work sustainably.
 Many hospitals have won lawsuits against NHIF and several court
 decisions this year say that hospitals cannot be denied payment
 for services they have really performed. "What happens is that
the caps are a punishment for hospitals that do their job well,"
 Katsarov said. 

He also discussed with NHIF and the Medical Association changes
in the pricing of medical services. The Minister said he will
insist that a specific factor be assigned for all medical
services when are priced.
  
Katsarov believes that more services should go to the
off-hospital care providers and argued that modern medicine
allows that.

He said that he also discussed with the NHIF and the Medical
Association dropping the requirement for general pracitioners to
 be available for emergency calls on a 24/7 basis "because that
is unrealistic".
 
NHIF director Prof. Petko Salchev said that the experts will
discuss what changes can be made in the legislation to scrap the
 cap on NHIF payments to hospitals. He added that talking of new
 prices for medical services will be possible in the autumn when
 there will be clarity about the NHIF budget for next year.

The President of the Bulgarian Medical Association, Dr Ivan
Madjarov, said it is important that money follows the patient
rather than be distributed in somebody's office. He agrees with
the Minister that it is important to move a big part of medical
services to off-hospital care. RI/LN
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