site.btaUPDATED 2024 Health Insurance Fund Budget Approved on Second Reading

The National Assembly Monday adopted on second reading the 2024 National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Budget Bill. Next year, the NHIF is planned to receive BGN 8,163,353,100 in revenues and transfers, including BGN 4,880,099,200 in health insurance contributions, on the assumption of a health insurance contribution of 8%. The expenditures and transfers are forecast at BGN 8,163,353,100 (the same as the revenues), including BGN 7,630,931,400 in health insurance payments.

The transfers for health insurance are set at BGN 3,078,710,400, with BGN 178,766,900 from the Health Ministry, BGN 26,772,300 for medicinal products (vaccines and activities in implementation of the Health Act), and BGN 8,789,000 for activities for health insured persons. 

A total of BGN 72,170,600 are planned for activities related to the treatment of persons up to 18 years of age under the Health Act and persons aged over 18. A total of BGN 55,000,000 are allocated for devices, installations, and medicinal products for persons with disabilities not covered by compulsory health insurance. 

Current expenditures are set at BGN 7,924,588,800, of which BGN 79,680,500 for personnel, BGN 558,038,500 for health insurance payments for primary out-of-hospital medical care, BGN 567,208,100 for health insurance payments for specialized out-of-hospital medical care, and BGN 358,882,300 for health insurance payments for dental care. The planned health insurance payments for medical diagnostics are BGN 261,845,400. A total of BGN 2,028,544,700 are allocated for medicinal products, devices and diet foods for special medicinal purposes for home use, activities for providing medicinal products for home use covered entirely by the NHIF budget, medicinal products for treating malicious diseases, medicinal products for life-threatening hemorrhages and urgent surgeries for patients with congenital coagulopathies.
 
The MPs removed the provision whereby medical facilities for hospital care, excluding those under Art. 10 (3b, 4a, and 6) of the Medical Facilities Act, that were unveiled or began carrying out new activities after December 31, 2023, cannot conclude contracts and additional agreements with the NHIF for the corresponding activities in 2024.
The National Assembly also decided that the NHIF will provide funding for pharmacies operating in isolated, hard-to-reach areas under a contract with the Fund.