site.bta2022 National Health Insurance Fund Budget Conclusively Revised

The revised 2022 budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) envisages revenues and transfers totaling BGN 6,116,304,900, Parliament resolved on Tuesday, passing conclusively the amending bill.

The health insurance revenues stand at 5,914,317,100, the health insurance contributions at BGN 3,759,192,600, and the health insurance transfers at BGN 2,155,124,500. Non-tax revenues are expected at BGN 23,162,200.

The Health Ministry is to transfer BGN 106,570,600 to the NHIF, of which BGN 6,576,000 for medicinal products (vaccines and vaccination activities under the Health Act), BGN 8,789,000 for servicing persons not covered by health insurance under the Health Act, and BGN 16,035,000 to make up the difference to the consumer fee paid by patients for visits to doctors and hospital treatment.

The legislature approved a motion by Vazrazhdane to scrap the allocation for COVID-19 vaccines for persons covered by health insurance, as a result of which the total amount of the Health Ministry transfer was reduced from BGN 120 million to BGN 106 million.

A transfer of BGN 51,170,600 (up from BGN 37,170,600 proposed by the Government, again on a motion by Vazrazhdane) is expected for treatment of persons aged under 18 under the Health Act and persons aged over 18. Another BGN 38,000,000 are to be transferred for medical devices, technical aids, appliances and equipment for people with disabilities not covered by compulsory health insurance. The revised budget sets the transfers from the central government budget at BGN 72,255,000.

At BGN 6,116,304,900, the expenditures and transfers on the revised NHIF budget equal the amount of revenues and transfers. Of these, personnel costs amount to BGN 62,100,000.

The allocation for personnel costs was increased on a motion from Vazrazhdane, which proposed BGN 72,268,500, compared to BGN 60,223,700 proposed by the Council of Ministers.

The NHIF reserves, including the contingency reserve and the emergency expenditure reserve, are set at BGN 177,429,500.

The lawmakers rejected a motion of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms to allocate BGN 2,000,000 from the NHIF reserves for health-insurance payments for complete dentures.