site.btaNational Health Insurance Fund Refers Hospitalization Cases to Prosecution Service over Possible Misuse of Patients’ Personal Data

The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has referred hospitalization cases to the prosecution service to determine whether patients’ personal data were misused, the NHIF Governor, Assoc. Prof. Petko Stefanovski, told reporters on Thursday. He noted that regional health insurance funds checked 258 hospitals after data indicated that 4,155 patients registered for treatment had been found in gambling halls.

Of these patients, the regional funds were unable to contact 1,659, while 234 refused to cooperate. The remaining patients confirmed that they had been hospitalized during the period when they were reported to have visited gambling halls. Ten percent of the patients said they had played online gambling games while hospitalized. The National Revenue Agency found no evidence of online betting, confirming that the patients had been physically present in gambling halls. Nearly 8% of the patients admitted leaving the hospital during their stay.

Stefanovski also noted that 85 patients reported that their identity card data had been used by others. Eleven patients said they had been in hospital but had not stayed overnight, resulting in fines for the hospitals totalling nearly EUR 60,000.

According to an analysis NHIF published on its website, a total of 2,317,179 hospital stays under clinical pathways were reported between January and December 2025, representing a 2.61% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The highest number of clinical pathways was recorded mainly in the country’s largest regional cities—Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Pleven, and Varna—where most healthcare facilities are concentrated.