GERB Mull Fate of Notorious Bulgarian Health Insurance Head

Neli Nesheva, Director of Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund, resigned on Friday amid a bonus scandal. Photo by BGNES

The parliamentary group of ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, is going to decide Tuesday on the fate of the discredited National Health Insurance Fund, NZOK, Director, Neli Nesheva.

The scandal flared after Members of the Parliament from the right-wing Blue Coalition released for the media documents showing that all while NZOK is in shambles, its employees have received in 2011 over BGN 2 M in bonuses, of which BGN 30 000 went to its Head.

Nesheva, who admitted to receiving over BGN 12 000 of bonuses last year and - though claiming the money was well deserved - quit office on Friday under public, opposition, and Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov's pressure.

In the last few days, the Bulgarian Doctors Union, the Bulgarian Industrial Chamber, the Union of Multi-profile Hospitals, and the Parliamentary Committee on Health have declared their support for Nesheva, and insisted that changes in NZOK leadership will unnecessarily shake the system.

They praise the NZOK Director for reinstating regular payments in the system, for the new medication policy which includes the possibility to negotiate discounts and the new methodology of payments to hospitals, which have increased transparency and reduced the lobbyist pressure.

Her supporters say the scandal was stirred on purpose by the pharmaceutical cartels in Bulgaria.

The Chairman of the Doctor's Union, Tsvetan Raychinov, commented that Nesheva had done a great job on the NZOK helm.

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