site.btaHealth Insurance Fund Suggests Increasing Price of Clinical Pathways by 8%

The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) suggests increasing by 8% the prices of clinical pathways and of clinical and ambulatory procedures, retroactively as of September 1, 2022, NHIF head Petko Salchev told reporters on Tuesday, emerging from a meeting of NHIF's Supervisory Board. 

The proposals have been sent to the Bulgarian Medical Association (BMA). 

The prices of medical and diagnostic works are suggested to be increased by 18%. Salchev said that this is what can be done within the abilities of NHIF's budget so as not to have to return money to the state budget. 

He said that if BMA does not agree to the proposals, no annex can be signed to the National Framework Agreement and the prices of clinical pathways will not be changed. Salchev said that the NHIF cannot make a unilateral decision on changing the prices of clinical pathways, nor is there a deadline by which the BMA is required to come up with its answer. 

The price of clinical pathways was last increased in May, by 25%. 

Salchev said that the implementation of NHIF's budget as of September is within the projected. Over-expenditure is expected in respect of specialized out-of-hospital medical care and in dental care, he said. 

In previous developments, BMA has suggested increasing the prices of clinical pathways by 18%. However, a meeting in October attended by representatives of the Health Ministry and of NHIF's Supervisory Board, failed to reach a consensus. The Health Ministry said at the time that opportunities will be sought to increase the prices of clinical pathways by between 12% and 20%.