Sofia, August 26 (BTA) - On 145 votes in the 240-seat legislature, government-proposed revisions in the 2021 budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) passed in principle on Thursday. One MP of the formerly ruling GERB-UDF voted against and 39 others abstained.

At the start of the parliamentary sitting Health Minister Stoicho Katsarov urged the MPs to adopt the revisions as fast as possible to ensure resources for health care system as it is faced with a fourth wave of coronavirus infections.

The revision includes receipts from health insurance for a total of 134.5 million leva and 29.5 million leva in transfers from the Health Ministry. The expenditure side has an extra 10 million leva for administrative activities, including payments for service providers for maintenance of the electronic security systems in the NHIF facilities.

A total of 120.46 million leva will be distributed to off-hospital care providers, dental care, diagnostication, medical products and medicines for cancer patients and administration of COVID vaccines (up to 14 million leva), among others.

The government proposes that in the conditions of an epidemiologic emergency, the additional funding be distributed by the Supervisory Board of the National Health Insurance Fund.

A total of 2.5 million leva is set aside for medical care at home.

The NHIF COVID-related expenditure in January-July 2021 totalled 442 million leva. The total costs for handling the pandemic this year is expected to reach 3 billion leva.

Source: Sofia