Bulgarian Medical Association

The Bulgarian Medical Association is determined to appeal the national healthcare fund's decision not to sign the 2015 Framework Contract which envisages an increase in prices of some medical services.

At least BGN 0.5B more is needed for healthcare in 2015, President of the Bulgarian Medical Association, Dr. Tsvetan Raychinov said in an interview for Bulgaria's Telegraph Agency.

"The money for next year's healthcare sector should not be less than this year's, including the update of BGN 225M that was already made once this year, and the BGN 117M for next year," Raychinov noted.

A total of 400 doctors have left Bulgaria to work abroad since the beginning of 2014, according to Dimitar Lenkov from the Bulgarian Medical Association.

Lenkov, as cited by Sega daily, explained that overseas employment certificates had been issued to 600 doctors in 2013.

It is not necessary to boost healthcare expenditure for 2014, Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski said Wednesday.

Oresharski told the Bulgarian National Television he had looked at "numbers" and found the deficit at the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) for this year was the same as that for the previous one.

Bulgaria's opposition GERB would end its boycott of Parliament if ruling-party lawmakers agree to review the 2014 budget, a message to Parliament Speaker Mihail Mikov shows.

The health system in Bulgaria is falling apart and the government is acting irresponsibly, said the Sofia organisation of the Bulgarian Medical Association in a press statement. 

“In the final days of its failed rule, the Government again demonstrates total lack of responsibility,” said the Association. 

A state grant for debt-ridden National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) amounting to BGN 200 M (EUR 100 M) could be allocated, NZOK's Supervisory Council says.

The fund might receive a sum between BGN 160 and 200 M within a brief period, the Council's Chairman Boyko Penkov announced after a meeting with representatives of the Bulgarian Medical Association.

National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK)'s overdraft is expected to be BGN 491 M (EUR 245.5 M), a financial report at the institution reveals.

It shows a BGN 91 M increase of the deficit compared to previous estimates.

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) announced courts and prosecutor's offices have money for just to weeks and will have to stop paying their bills afterwards.

SJC representatives, quoted by Bulgarian daily Sega, have explained that no money has been given out to cover expenses since the initial budget was announced to be depleted.

Bulgarian healthcare faces shortage of funding from September, Tsvetan Raychinov, head of the Bulgarian Medical Association, has warned.

He told the Bulgarian National Radio that the sector is heading for a dire financial situation unless the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) is revised.