Bulgarian Medics Down Tools, Health Insurance Payments Go up

Strikes and rallies of medical workers across the country have caused the health insurance payments in Bulgaria to rise from eight to ten percent from April 1. Given a minimum wage of 240 levs, the minimum health insurance payment becomes 24 levs. Forty percent of the monthly health insurance premium will be paid by the employee and sixty percent by the employee.

The proposal will be passed at a sitting of the Council of Ministers tomorrow and the MPs will approve it by the end of the month.

The news about the higher social security payments was announced by PM Boyko Borissov after talks with health minister Bozhidar Nanev, Finance Minister Djankov and the leaders of the guilds of medical workers and dental doctors in Bulgaria.

The meeting in the Council of Ministers building was provoked by the Mexican wave of strikes of GPs that started yesterday. The doctors organized the protests because the government hasn't remitted yet the due payments for the last two months.

It is expected by the end of 2010 the state to accumulate 350M more for health outlays because of the increased installment. This amount will be added to the 2,5 billion leva (1 euro = 1,95 leva) revenue from health insurances provided in the budget.  

During the meeting was decided to be unblocked another 350M leva from the financial reserve of the National Health Insurance Fund to serve the immediate needs in the sector.

However, that decision also has to be approved by the parliament.