19% of Bulgarians Paid No Health Insurance Contributions in 2013

A total of 1.417 million Bulgarians subject to obligatory health insurance did not pay their installments in 2013, according to the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

Against the backdrop of 19% of Bulgarians evading health insurance contributions, this type of payments accounted for 65% of the receipts of Bulgaria’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in 2013, according to an annual report of the National Audit Office, as cited by Sega daily.

The revenues of the NHIF were determined by the decrease in the number of medically uninsured, the large share of health insurance payments calculated on the basis of minimum incomes, and the migration of working population out of the country.

In 2013, health insurance revenues of the NHIF exceeded BGN 1.8 B, against a target of BGN 1.749 B stipulated in the budget.

Health insurance revenues of the NHIF increased by BGN 75.814 M (4.4%) on the year in 2013.

Both the NHIF and the National Revenue Agency (NRA) reported a spike in receipts from fines and penalty interests to a total of BGN 20.771 M for 2013, up by 43.2% from the target set in the NHIF Budget Act.

Receipts from fines went up by 130% on the year in 2013.

In 2013, revenue authorities managed to collect nearly BGN 15.8 M from irregular payers of health insurance contributions, up by BGN 8.393 M from the forecast.

The NHIF imposed fines worth BGN 4.9 M to doctors and hospitals in 2013.

Apart from the increase in revenues, the sum of health insurance payments was 12.4% higher than the target set in the NHIF Budget Act.

In 2013, a total of BGN 553 M, or 1/5 of the total of health insurance payments, was spent on pharmaceuticals.

The NHIF budget for partially or fully reimbursed pharmaceuticals increased by BGN 69.650 M on the year in 2013 due to the inclusion of new pharmaceuticals on the lists and the increase in the reimbursement sum.

By January 1, 2012, the NHIF provided partial or full reimbursement for a total of 1673 pharmaceuticals, and by January 1, 2013, the list increased to a total of 1856 entries.

At the beginning of 2014, the list of pharmaceuticals reimbursed in full by the NHIF included 1997 entries.

A total of 1.552 million people, 53% of them pensioners, received pharmaceuticals with full reimbursement.

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