site.btaUPDATED Parliament Adopts Conclusively National Health Insurance Fund's 2025 Budget

Parliament approved here on second reading the final budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for 2025, with the budget set at BGN 9.474 billion in revenues and transfers. One significant provision is that the NHIF will cover the cost of prescribed medicines for home treatment of acute infectious diseases, including antibacterial drugs, for children up to 7 years of age. This regulation will come into force on July 1, 2025.

The planned budget includes BGN 9.256 billion in health insurance revenues, of which BGN 5.746 billion comes from health insurance contributions and BGN 3.509 billion from transfers for health insurance. Total expenditures for the year are set at BGN 9.474 billion.

The increase in revenues and expenditures compared to the 2024 budget is BGN 1.306 billion, a 16% rise, according to the Budget Committee’s report. Health insurance payments are projected to be BGN 8.873 billion, an increase of BGN 1.242 billion from last year’s budget, or a 16.3% growth.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health will provide a monthly transfer to the NHIF budget amounting to BGN 191.1 million for covering activities outside the mandatory health insurance scope. The mandatory health insurance contribution for 2025 will remain at 8%.

The NHIF will finance pharmacies operating under contracts with the Fund in hard-to-reach and remote areas or those that are the sole provider in a given municipality, including those with round-the-clock services.

Other planned expenditures include BGN 91.8 million for staff costs. For primary outpatient medical care, the allocated amount is BGN 647.6 million, while specialized outpatient medical care (including comprehensive ambulatory monitoring) will receive BGN 658.2 million. The budget for dental services (including the creation of full set of dentures) is BGN 416.5 million, and BGN 303.9 million are earmarked for medical diagnostic services.

Parliament also approved that the NHIF staff costs will be carried out within the approved budget, and any savings can be used for additional performance bonuses and contributions or other expenses. If necessary, the NHIF Supervisory Board may approve internal budget changes based on proposals from the Fund’s management. 

Health Minister Silvi Kirilov thanked those MPs who supported the NHIF's budget for this year, despite sensing a certain dissatisfaction, which he acknowledged was also shared by him. He noted that this dissatisfaction was, in his opinion, a good indicator that the budget will work, provided that everyone invests their full energy and knowledge to implement it day-to-day.

Regarding the debate on whether private hospitals should announce public tenders, the Minister clarified that he is not a specialist in this area, but there is the Public Procurements Act, and he sees no reason for any provisions of this law to be addressed through transitional and final provisions in the NHIF budget. To clarify, Kirilov emphasized that he had been the head of two private hospitals in recent years, where he had conducted such procedures.