Health insurance jumps to 10% from April

The government does not plan changes to its transfers to the National Health Insurance Fund

The health insurance rate will increase 2 pp to 10% from April, the cabinet decided on Wednesday. The contribution will continue to be paid in a 60:40 ratio by employer and employee. The hike, however, does not concern the state, because the government does not plan changes to its transfers to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Those transfers are the health contributions of children, pensioners, students and the military. Finance minister Simeon Dyankov declined to say if the higher rate will only be paid by businesses or by the state too. 'We are working on that,' he said. The state is the biggest employer, providing jobs to two-thirds of Bulgarians. The higher health insurance rate will provide an additional BGN 300 million to the NHIF. The changes are subject to approval by parliament.