site.bta69% of Cancer Patients Pay Out of Pocket for Treatment

About 69% of cancer patients pay out of pocket for their treatment. The average co-payment amounts to BGN 1,465, which results in a 26% reduction in the health care received, according to data from a survey of the Hospitals Index initiative, presented at a press conference on Access to Cancer Care at the BTA National Press Club here on Tuesday.

The survey was conducted between January 21 and February 7, 2024, among 417 respondents who have been treated for cancer in the last five years.

Yuliana Galyova of the Hospitals Index initiative reported that of those who paid out of pocket, 56% paid for surgery that cost BGN 1,732 on average. Some 41% paid an average of BGN 455 for tests, while 39% paid for medical devices and supplies. Radiation therapy incurred an average cost of BGN 365 for 13% of the respondents. During treatment, 55% of the respondents made an additional copayment at an average of BGN 897 for specialized nutritional supplements, medical devices or aesthetic interventions.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Kalev and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asya Konsoulova of the Bulgarian Joint Cancer Network reported that the costs of treating cancer patients in the country are not entirely covered by public funds through the National Health Insurance Fund and the Ministry of Health. Paying out of pocket is required for diagnostic activities of tumour markers, immunohistochemistry and various genetic tests of the tumour, as well as for methods of surgical treatment not approved in the Ministry of Health standards.

Due to the lack of strictly regulated procedures and expertise for the treatment of oncological diseases, Bulgarian patients are forced to pay extra for their treatment or seek help abroad, Kalev stressed. He said that the only solution for Bulgarian oncology is to create a non-governmental initiative for treatment, supported by the state, which would implement European standards for modern effective oncology.