€260 million for salaries of non-specialist medical professionals in state and municipal hospitals

€260 million from central budget transfers will be specifically allocated to the NHIF for the payment of medical staff salaries. This is stipulated in the amendments to the Fund’s budget bill proposed by the ruling coalition, Zdrave Net reports. However, the funds will cover the salaries of medical specialists without a specialty, and only in state and municipal healthcare facilities.

Of the total amount, €30 million will be transferred to the Ministry of Health. These funds will be used for the remuneration of staff in emergency medical centers, transfusion hematology centers, psychiatric hospitals, centers for comprehensive care for children with disabilities and chronic diseases, medical and social care homes, and mental health centers.

The remaining €230 million will be distributed by the NHIF among healthcare facilities under the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Transport, as well as all state and municipal hospitals, mixed healthcare companies, and specialized hospitals under the Ministry of Justice. The goal is to guarantee minimum staff remuneration.

The proposed minimum remunerations to be paid with these funds are as follows:

• €1,860 – for a doctor without a specialty, a dentist without a specialty, a master pharmacist without a specialty, specialists with a non-medical higher education (Master’s degree) directly involved in the diagnostic and treatment process, as well as medical residents.
• €1,550 – for nurses, midwives, physician assistants, laboratory technicians, X-ray technicians, rehabilitators, assistant pharmacists, dental technicians, masseurs (visually impaired), and specialists with a non-medical higher education (Bachelor’s degree) working directly with patients.

Higher minimum remunerations will be set for staff with higher qualifications. All new salaries are to take effect from January 1, 2026, and healthcare facilities will have a three-month period to update them.

The rules for the distribution of funds will be adopted by the Supervisory Board of the NHIF after coordination with the Minister of Health. They will determine the financing criteria, the procedure for providing information by healthcare facilities, the method for concluding contracts, and the control mechanism.

The funding of state and municipal mental health centers will be carried out under a contract between the respective healthcare facility and the Minister of Health. The bill explicitly states that the funds received may only be spent on salaries.

The Minister of Health will be required to establish a national electronic register of vacant positions in all healthcare facilities. The register must be ready within four months of the law’s entry into force and updated weekly.

An additional €34.7 million is earmarked in the NHIF budget for priority hospitals and healthcare facilities in hard-to-reach and remote regions.

An amendment to the Healthcare Facilities Act has also been proposed, allowing the state to further subsidize state and municipal hospitals in municipalities where no other healthcare facility of the same type exists.

The ruling coalition also proposes a change in PHC: general practitioners will be required to activate patient access to their electronic health records in the NHIS via the eHealth portal. €3 million has been allocated for this, and the Fund will pay a fee of €5 for each activation. Thus, the PHC budget will increase from €349.3 million to €352.3 million.

Funds for biomarker diagnostics are being transferred from medical-diagnostic activities to the budget for medical devices used in hospital care. The NHIF and the BMA will have to negotiate a new outpatient procedure No. 50 related to the diagnosis of oncological diseases.

It is proposed to eliminate the division of medicines into groups (reference and generic), with all antineoplastic products being included in the general budget for medications. The budget sustainability mechanism will not apply to generic drugs.

It is envisaged that the NHIF will be able to conclude contracts for the payment of medicines based on the effect of therapy, including conditional agreements for new molecules to be included in the Positive Drug List.

Opposition parties are also proposing changes, including:

• an obligation for university hospitals to maintain support programs for medical residents;
• every health-insured person to receive a notification for every medical activity performed on them;
• minimum remunerations for a doctor without a specialty to be 150% of the average wage, and for healthcare specialists – 125%.