site.btaParliament Adopts Conclusively National Health Insurance Fund Budget

Parliament Adopts Conclusively
National Health Insurance
Fund Budget


Sofia, December 19 (BTA) - Parliament adopted conclusively the
2015 National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Budget Act on Friday.
It passed on the votes of a majority including GERB, the
Reformist Bloc, the Patriotic Front and ABV. The Socialists, the
Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the nationalist Ataka did
not support it.

Revenues (including transfers) in the 2015 NHIF budget are
projected at 3,075,534,000 leva, and expenditures (also
including transfers) are exactly the same amount. The medical
insurance contribution remains at 8 per cent of the income, of
which 60 per cent is payable by the employer and the rest by the
insured person. The outlays for primary and specialized
outpatient care are increased from 2014, as is the funding for
hospital services. Outpatient services get 190 million leva and
dental services 120 million leva. 175 million leva will be
available for cancer treatment in hospitals.The NHIF will have a
reserve of 301,898,000 leva which will be formed by setting
aside 10 per cent of the health insurance contributions and
transfers.

The MPs resolved that the NHIF Supervisory Board will be
authorized to decide on up-front spending of resources from the
reserve up to a limit. This provision did not have the
opposition's support.

The transitional and final provisions in the budget act say that
hospitals which obtain a permit after December 31, 2014, and
those which broaden the scope of their activities as of the same
date, will be unable to sign contracts or update their existing
contracts with the NHIF.

The opposition did not support this either. BSP-Left Bulgaria
floor leader Mihail Mikov called the provision
"anti-constitutional" and said the only goal is to preserve the
NHIF resources only for those who already have a contract with
the Fund. He warned that an avalanche of litigations will follow
and the petitioners are sure to win them in court.

Tuncher Kurdjaliev of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms said
that the decision is unprecedented and discriminates against
some medical establishments.

Health Minister Peter Moskov thanked the majority in Parliament
for supporting this restriction and said it was a hard decision
to make. "We are plugging the holes to keep the ship from
sinking," he commented the situation metaphorically. "When a
country is in a crisis, resources get centralized and
repositioned according to the goals. Our goal cannot be having
even more hospitals," he added. PK/LN/


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