The acting governor of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Dr. Asen Medzhidiev, has proposed a 10% increase in clinical pathway funding, effective September 1. The news was announced during a press conference where he presented the results of his tenure at the helm of the institution.
Dr. Medzhidiev specified that the specific parameters of the National Framework Agreement will be announced next week. On Friday, the NHIF Supervisory Board is expected to vote on the agreement with the Bulgarian Medical Association and the Bulgarian Dental Union.
Primary outpatient care for general practitioners will increase by 4.4% retroactively from January 1, with the aim of improving preventative care. The same percentage increase is also planned for specialized outpatient medical care, Dr. Medzhidiev noted.
Following the adoption of the budget, the negotiation process was completed within 30 days, resulting in full consensus. Dr. Medzhidiev also explained his future concept for valuing medical staff labor within clinical pathways. The idea is for 20% of the value of each pathway to be allocated to the teams.
For a pathway worth 1500 euros, 20% of the amount will be distributed among the staff, including medical residents. Of this share, 60% will go to doctors, 30% to nurses, and 10% to orderlies, Dr. Medzhidiev specified. He added that despite limited funds, the Fund has managed to secure increases for strategic activities within the budget framework.