Bulgaria's National Health Fund Chief Tries to Dispel 'Bonus Scandal'

Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund head Neli Nesheva has sought to dispel a bonus scandal by explaining she got "only" BGN 12 000, and not BGN 30 000. Photo by BGNES

Dr Neli Nesheva, who is the director of Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund, has sought to manage a scandal, which erupted after an opposition party leaked information about her 2011 payment bonus.

According to data of the opposition rightist Union of Democratic Forces announced to the media Wednesday, Nesheva received a total of BGN 30 000 in bonuses for 2011.

On Thursday, however, the head of the Bulgarian National Health Fund presented paperwork about her bonuses, which made it clear she got a BGN 12 156 bonus in 2011.

In her words, she received the bonuses as additional payments that she is entitled to under the Health Insurance Act, and the money did not come from the working salary fund of her institution.

Nesheva said she considers filing a libel suit against UDF MP Dimo Gyaurov because he had "slandered" her name "in order to produce a sensation."

However, she has refused to reveal the names of the other National Health Insurance Fund employees who got bonuses for 2011.

Bulgaria's Health Minister Stefan Konstantinov declared Wednesday that much of the 2011 bonus money went to emergency clinics, nursing homes, and psychiatric wards, instead of the healthcare administration. However, reports of the Bulgarian press cite doctors are emergency and psychiatric wards as denying having received any bonuses.