site.btaParliament to Have First Reading of 2024 National Health Insurance Fund, Public Social Insurance Budget Bills

The National Assembly will have a first reading of the 2024 National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and public social insurance budget bills, according to Parliament’s agenda published on its website.

Prior to that, the MPs will hold a blitz question time at 9 am, in which, under the National Assembly’s rules, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel should participate.

Earlier this week, the parliamentary health committee and the budget and finance committee rejected on first reading the government-proposed bill for the 2024 budget of the NHIF budget.

The bill has some BGN 8.2 billion from revenues and transfers. Nearly BGN 8 billion is set aside for health insurance payments, of which nearly BGN 4.9 billion is from health insurance contributions and nearly BGN 3.1 billion is from health insurance transfers.

Total expenditures for 2024 amount to just over BGN 8.163 billion, up by over BGN 1.1 billion compared to last year’s budget.

“BGN 15 million is earmarked for prenatal and postnatal screening,” Deputy Health Minister Ilko Getov told the health committee. “Nearly BGN 55 million more compared to this year is envisaged for dental care,” he added. “The funding for home treatment medicines will be reduced by BGN 5 million because of an underspend on the current budget,” the Deputy Minister noted.

The public social insurance budget bill for 2024 was backed by the parliamentary budget committee and the labour and social policy committee. It provides for an 11% increase in all pensions granted until the end of 2023, effective July 1. As of the same date, the minimum retirement pension for full insurance records will rise to BGN 580.57 from BGN 523.04. The maximum pension will remain at BGN 3,400. The old-age social pension will increase to BGN 307.07 from BGN 276.64.

In 2024, BGN 21.6 billion will be earmarked for the payment of all types of pensions and their supplements. The planned expenditure is BGN 2.440 billion, which is a 12.7% increase compared to 2023.

As of January 1, 2024, the minimum contributory income for self-insured people, farmers, and tobacco growers will be increased to BGN 933 from BGN 780. The contributory income ceiling for all insured persons will increase to BGN 3,750 from BGN 3,400.

As of July 1, 2024, the survivor benefits will be increased to 30% (from the current 26.5%) of the deceased spouse's pension.

The maximum daily allowance for jobless people will be increased to BGN 107 from BGN 85.