There is a possibility that the user tax pensioners pay when visiting their GP will stay 1 BGN. The Ministry of Finance intends to not pay GPs the funds with which to cover the difference up to 2.90 BGN as is the regular user fee next year. This was announced by the chairman of the Bulgarian Medical Association, Dr. Tsvetan Raichinov. He also specified that the BMA will withdraw from the signing of the National Framework Agreement, if that happens.

The reduced fee for pensioners visiting a doctor is absolute discrimination against the rest of the population was explicit Raichinov. “By what logic will everyone else pay 2.90 BGN, as if we were of another category. The prior intention of the Ministry of Finance was the fee to remain 1 BGN for pensioners and not to be compensated, which the Medical Association cannot accept. The Ministry has not foreseen the 15 million needed for the payment of this fee in its budget. If this happens, I can guarantee now that there will be no framework contract and the Medical Association will withdraw from the other institutions in the country. This cannot be approached purely mechanically. These are things that doctors do and therefore they cannot be taken from there. If those 15 million BGN would solve the problems of the country – good. Well, there would arise another small problem – no doctors will be left, especially in the rural areas, but I think that this country does not seem to be bothered by this,” – he said.

Doctors will agree to a NHIF budget for the next year which would amount to the same sum as this year’s plus 325 million BGN, said Tsvetan Raichinov after a meeting with the Health Minister Dr. Petar Moskov. “This is a budget that is realistic for the next year, in order there to be predictability and tranquillity in the system. If the budget is less than this year’s plus the two updates, there will be no framework agreement, ” – said the representative of the BMA as well.