site.btaHealth Insurance Fund Budget for 2025 Adopted with Balanced Budget, NHIF Head Says

The Health Insurance Fund budget for 2025 was adopted by the Supervisory Board with revenues and expenditures in balance, National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Governor Petko Stefanovski told BTA after a meeting of the institution’s Supervisory Board on Wednesday, which discussed the report on the current execution of the Fund’s budget as of December 31, 2025.

Stefanovski said that at the end of 2025 a shortfall in the revenue side of the budget of about BGN 52 million was suspected, but in the final days of 2025 the institution received a letter from the Ministry of Finance announcing an increase in revenues of around BGN 65 million, which covered the deficit. According to Stefanovski, the Health Insurance Fund has settled all payments for last year with all contractual partners.

Under the extended budget law for 2026, the Supervisory Board approves the allocation of funds on a quarterly basis, he said, expressing concern that the absence of a law on a new budget prevents the introduction of all innovations agreed with professional medical organizations, including doctors and dental practitioners, as well as the conclusion of framework agreements. Stefanovski also recalled the cancellation of the planned introduction of electronic health cards, which were expected to provide greater control.

The supervisors also discussed the control activities carried out by all regional health insurance funds, with the summary showing that the total value of medical activities rejected for payment for December 2025 amounted to BGN 99,000, Stefanovski said.

The Supervisory Board instructed NHIF management to assess all new activities approved in 2024 or 2025 that are set to enter the system in 2026. According to Stefanovski, these activities need to be costed and will be reported and discussed at a subsequent meeting of the Supervisory Board. However, these activities are not provided for under the extended budget law, he added.