site.btaNational Health Insurance Fund Supervisory Board Chair: Reserve Funds for Hospital Care Activities Likely to Be Released

Emerging from a meeting of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Supervisory Board on Wednesday, Board Chair and Deputy Health Minister Michail Okoliyski said that reserve funds for hospital care activities are likely to be released. “There are indications that the NHIF reserve funds will have to be dug into for some hospital care activities,” he noted.

Okoliyski added that upcoming meetings of the NHIF Supervisory Board will establish which areas are underfunded and need to be funded by the reserve. “As of now, the budget implementation rates are not a cause for concern. There is a monthly schedule for the fund disbursement, but estimates show that some hospital care activities will require reserve funds,” he said.

During the meeting, the Supervisory Board voted to allow several community hospitals and hospitals in hard-to-reach areas to employ part-time anesthesiologists by exception.

“At a forthcoming meeting, the Board is expected to discuss the NHIF’s 2024 budget and proposals for the implementation of mechanisms aimed at increasing spending efficiency,” Okoliyski said. He added that the trend observed for the first half of the year, indicating the biggest increase in outpatient care, will continue.