site.btaHealth Insurance Fund, Health Ministry and Pharmaceutical Union Discuss Controversial Changes in Rules for Payments to Pharmacies

Controversial revisions in the rules for payment to pharmacies for fully reimbursable prescriptions were discussed on Thursday at a meeting of the leadership of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the Health Ministry and the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union (BPhU). NHIF acting chair Momchil Mavrov told the press after the meeting that the NHIF and pharmacies are considering “a concensual solution”.

The proposed changes triggered a protest and work stoppages by pharmacies in many parts of the country.

“Everybody understands that if no solution is found, a couple of months from now the NHIF will be unable to pay to the pharmacies. We have limited resources and they are nearing depletion,” Mavrov said.

BPhU Chair Dimitar Marinov said that dialogue with the three organizations has been constructive.

In a BTA interview earlier on Thursday, Mavrov explained that the NHIF budget for fully reimbursable prescriptions is about to be used up after a decision of March for increasing the level of reimbursement of medicines for cardio-vascular conditions. He said that the budgetary effect of the decision “appears to have been miscalculated”.

The NHIF budget for payments to pharmacies for fully reimbursable prescriptions this year is just over BGN 36 million. That is 11% more than in 2023.