site.btaUPDATED Hospital Stays of Up to 10 Days to Cost Health-Insured Patients BGN 1 per Day

For stays of up to ten days in a hospital, health-insured patients will pay BGN 1 per day, in accordance with the transitional and final provisions of the Decree on the Implementation of the 2025 State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, issued by the Council of Ministers. The decree was promulgated in the State Gazette.Previously, the amount of this fee was BGN 5.80 per day.

The fee for a visit to a general practitioner or a doctor from specialized outpatient care, as well as to a dentist, working under a National Health Insurance Fund contract, which health-insured patients pay, does not change and remains at the amount of BGN 2.90.

The change in the fee for staying in medical institutions has not been discussed with the associations of regional and municipal hospitals, Dr. Vasislav Petrov, Chair of the National Association of Regional Multi-profile Hospitals for Active Treatment, and Dr. Nedelcho Totev, Chairman of the National Association of Municipal Hospitals, told BTA. 

Petrov said that the decision was surprising and that hospitals will suffer losses. Totev noted that the reduction of the fee applies only to hospitals, and not to outpatient care. He argued that due to the reduction of this fee, someone else has to take on the burden, and pointed out other problems related to the fact that the values ​​of the clinical pathways have not been increased, the above-limit activity is not fully paid by the National Health Insurance Fund. He predicted that some hospitals may close due to these issues.