site.btaHospital Associations Push for National Framework Contract Revision Following Court Ruling

Several hospital associations Friday issued a declaration calling for a revision of the National Framework Contract (NFC) for 2023-2025 in light of a Constitutional Court ruling on exceeding operational limits in hospital. On April 11, the Court deemed unconstitutional the provision in the Health Insurance Act that pertains to hospital operational limits. The associations have proposed a review of any legislation that contradicts this ruling to ensure compliance.

The declaration was submitted to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Bulgarian Medical Association (BMA) on Friday. The document is signed by the National Association of Private Hospitals, the Bulgarian Hospital Association, the National Association of Regional Multi-Profile Hospitals for Active Treatment, and the Municipal Hospitals Association.

The hospital associations express concern about the lack of updates to by-laws following the Constitutional Court's ruling. Instead, they say, the Court is looking for a new way to block these payments to medical institutions. The BMA has proposed a plan to the NHIF that could result in unequal pay for the same services at different hospitals. This plan would reduce compensation for hospitals that exceed certain benchmarks, potentially penalising hospitals preferred by patients for their superior care, while benefiting less frequented hospitals with substandard services.

Hospital associations are not participating in the pricing discussions between the NHIF and the BMA. However, they are willing to assist in devising a solution to improve the supervision of public expenditure.

What the BMA proposes to the NHIF is that the National Framework Contract's tiered payment structure be extended to hospitals that exceed their monthly targets.