Health insurance contributions to be increased by 2% as of April 1

Sonia Stamboliyska

The Government intends to increase health insurance contributions from 8% to 10% after April 1. This will pour additional funds into the healthcare system, announced yesterday PM Boyko Borissov after a meeting with representatives of professional organisations attended by Minister of Finance, Simeon Djankov, and Minister of Health, Bozhidar Nanev. The PM announced that the proposal for health contributions to be raised from 8 to 10% will be discussed tomorrow at a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
"At the moment, health insurance contributions are the lowest in Europe," Borissov said. He added that at the meeting of the Council of Ministers the Government will also decide to unblock the amount of BGN 350 mln from the reserve of the NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund), which will be provided additionally to the Fund. These financial resources will flow directly into the healthcare system. Officials from the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced that the funds will come from the increase in health care contributions. The respective amendments will be introduced in the NHIF Budget Act. It is envisaged for the entire health contribution of 10% to be allocated to NHIF, and it will be shared in a 40:60 ratio between the worker and the employer. Sources from MoH reported further that the increase in health insurance contributions will not change the Government's intentions to transform the health insurance model in the country. The Government will introduce the necessary legislative changes in order to restart activity with respect to the positive list of medicines and the composition of the commission within NHIF. "As of July 1, the number of items on the list will be increased and we will pay BGN 70 mln more," commented Borissov. Regarding the transfer of funds to physicians, the PM explained that henceforth it will be made on a regular basis but inspections will not stop because of the protests staged by doctors.