Patients file complaint with CPD over lack of funding for biomarker diagnostics

A patient organization has filed a complaint with the Commission for Protection against Discrimination against the Bulgarian Medical Association and the National Health Insurance Fund due to the lack of funding for biomarker diagnostics. This was announced by representatives of the Association for the Development of Bulgarian Healthcare during a press conference at BTA, as reported by the agency.

According to the organization, the refusal to include such a procedure in the National Framework Agreement restricts the access of oncology patients to key tests. Biomarker diagnostics indicate whether a specific tumor will respond to a particular therapy and are an essential element of modern personalized treatment.

According to the chairperson of the association, Boryana Boteva, patients are currently often forced to pay for these tests themselves, with costs reaching up to €2,500. She emphasized that although the NHIF finances dozens of targeted therapies, it does not cover the diagnostics that determine their effectiveness.

The organization points out that the costs for biomarker diagnostics would represent a minimal part of the fund’s budget but could lead to a more efficient use of treatment funds.

Legal experts involved in the case believe that the lack of access to these tests creates conditions for the unequal treatment of patients. According to them, this contradicts the principle of equal access to healthcare services.

Medical specialists also note that requirements for prescribing certain therapies often include the presence of specific biomarkers, which places patients in a contradictory situation—the tests are necessary, but they are not funded.

The association called on patients who have paid for such tests themselves to provide documentation in order to summarize the cases.

It is noted that in the initial version of the NHIF budget for 2026, funds were allocated for biomarker diagnostics, but they were subsequently redirected to another budget item.