Send to Kindle
Bulgaria's Health Minister, Stefan Konstantinov, insists he did not know about the more costly medications paid by NZOK. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency
Bulgaria's Health Minister, Stefan Konstantinov, will propose legal amendments aimed at lowering prices of medications paid for by the National Health Insurance Fund, NZOK.
Speaking before Members of the Parliament from the Healthcare Committee, the Minister explained the measures have two goals – to bring prices of medications to their 2010 levels, when the signing of the contracts was under the authority of the Health Ministry, not NZOK, and to lower prices of all other prescription medications.
According to Konstantinov, the fiscal effect will be at least BGN 15 M more for NZOK and the hospitals in the course of one year.
Other changes will involve mandating pharmaceutical companies to notify about price reductions for the same medication in the so-called referent countries every six months, instead of the current 12. The referent countries are used to compare these prices with the ones in Bulgaria. The other proposal is to increase the number of these countries. Currently, for each medication from the so-called "positive list," the registered price is the lowest of all that are paid with State funding in 13 EU Member States. The idea is to add to them neighboring countries which are not in the EU – Serbia, Macedonia, and Turkey.
The amendments must be passed in the Parliament in order to become effective.
On Thursday Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, confirmed he had ordered a probe in the case, and promised that if there is established evidence of a crime, there would be a Court trial.
Bulgarians’ purchasing power has improved over the past decade, but it still lags significantly behind the European average
Bulgaria’s National Assembly has adopted legislative amendments granting consumers the right to cancel their contracts without penalty if a mobile operator unilaterally increases prices
Starting January next year, cigarette prices in Bulgaria will rise due to the upcoming increase in excise duties approved
The price of Bulgaria’s consumer basket has risen by 1 lev (0,50 cents), reaching 98 leva (50 euros) compared to 97 leva (49.50 euros) last week
Dobromir Ganev, chairman of the National Association “Real Estate,” stated in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio that property prices in Bulgaria are likely to continue rising in line with citizens’ income
In Bulgaria, the bustling markets of Razlog offer a vivid snapshot of how people are coping with rising prices and the looming introduction of the euro
In Bulgaria, there have been no confirmed cases of influenza over the past week
Bulgaria has witnessed a dramatic surge in deaths linked to opioids, predominantly fentanyl
With the arrival of autumn, respiratory illnesses are once again on the rise across Bulgaria, with doctors noting a noticeable increase in COVID-19 infections
Prof. Iva Hristova, director of the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, has forecast that Bulgaria is likely to see the peak of the flu season in the last week of January
Every October, as clocks are turned back one hour, many people welcome what they see as an “extra hour of sleep.”
The number of respiratory infections in Bulgaria is climbing and has already matched figures from the same period last year
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence
