NHIF with a deficit of over BGN 400 million, mainly due to medicines and medical devices

NHIF with a deficit of over BGN 400 million, mainly due to medicines and medical devices. As of June 30, reported revenues and transfers amount to BGN 4,439,533.2 thousand, while reported expenditures total BGN 4,843,511.8 thousand. The current budget balance is negative at BGN 403,978.6 thousand. This became clear after today’s meeting of the NHIF Supervisory Board, as reported by zdrave.net. Over-limit activity for June is valued at just over BGN 14 million. For May, it was approximately BGN 15 million.

“The first problem is that revenue transfers from the NRA are about 4% lower than the amounts set in the Fund’s budget.

The main expenditure overruns are in the categories of drug therapy and medical devices in hospital care. Overruns also stem to some extent from the medical activities themselves within hospital care. Implementation there stands at 52% of the projected amount,” the Governor of the Health Insurance Fund, Assoc. Prof. Petko Stefanovski, told journalists.

Regarding expenditures for medicinal products, he stated that active negotiations have begun with two working groups at the Ministry of Health and the National Council on Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products, as well as representatives of the two major organizations of marketing authorization holders—BGPharma and ARPharM—to resolve sensitive issues regarding the Medicine Payment Mechanism and find a compromise solution that satisfies all parties.

“Work is actively underway on this matter, and we will have ready proposals in text form for the next Supervisory Board meeting. We are considering the introduction of a Cost Recovery Mechanism and ensuring predictability and sustainability for the Fund’s budget regarding medical devices, similar to the system for medicines,” said Assoc. Prof. Stefanovski.

He stated that it is not yet possible to determine what the budget deficit will be by the end of the year, and a forecast can be made after September 30.

Regarding the final changes to the Health Insurance Act adopted today, which restore limits in hospital care, Assoc. Prof. Stefanovski stated that unlike previous texts overturned by the Constitutional Court, the current version includes the distribution of the Fund’s reserve to ensure that over-limit activity generated during the year will be paid, zdrave.net adds.

Assoc. Prof. Stefanovski was adamant that the deficit will not affect the quality of treatment in hospital care for patients.